UNANIMITY by G. H. Lang

UNANIMITY

THE DIVINE METHOD OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT

by G. H. Lang

To my fellow-believers in our Lord Jesus Christ gathered

in Church fellowship at Unity Chapel, Bristol.

BELOVED FRIENDS,

In accordance with the resolution passed at a recent meeting, I have here set forth my views upon the question we have been lately discussing, namely, Whether the Word of God gives the sanction of the Lord to the practice of deciding upon matters coming before us as a church by a vote of a majority of the members present ; or whether the Lord through His Word, does not rather teach and exhort us to defer our decision until one undivided mind and judgment is arrived at.

My own conviction, as explained to you, is that the latter course is the scriptural method ; and some of my reasons for this and objections to the former course are these :-

1. Considering that the Church of God occupies the responsible office of visibly representing before the world the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, so that worldly men judge of Him according to that which they see in us, it is manifestly of the utmost importance that, before carrying out any proposed action, we should make as sure as can possibly be that the course proposed is a right and proper one, and well pleasing unto Him whose will we seek to do. Now experience has abundantly shewn that the minority is frequently in the right, and the majority in the wrong ; and it is therefore manifest that the vote of a majority is at best a very uncertain means of deciding as to what is right and advisable ; and if this be so in human affairs, with which men may be supposed to have some fair acquaintance and experience, it will be much more so in divine matters affecting the kingdom of God, with which things we have no natural acquaintance whatever. 
   
   
   And that we shall in these latter concerns be yet more likely to fail to arrive at a knowledge of His will by such an uncertain method as is now in question, will be yet more clearly seen if it be the case, as I shall hope to show, that so far from having engaged to make known to the Church His wishes by this plan of voting, the Lord has the rather promised to reveal His will by and through the bringing of His people to an unanimous judgment. 
   
   
   Considering the vast importance, both for the glorifying of His name and for the blessing of men, that attaches to the doings of His people ; and considering also that we cannot as a church be at all sure of doing that which shall glorify Him and be for the good of our fellows unless we have His directions, it appears to me it would have been very strange, had He left no more sure method of learning His will and receiving His directions than this very uncertain plan of acting according to the view of the majority only of those considering the matter at issue. 
   
   
   A special likelihood of our making greater errors in things concerning the heavenly kingdom than in the things of this world arises from the sad fact that we are often, alas, so very carnally and so little spiritually-minded that divine things are but slowly apprehended by us. This is manifestly a great reason for the more carefully going over in our minds any matter, and taking a longer time to consider it than it would be needful for us to take were we discussing the same matter in a merely secular relationship ; but it is undeniable that matters decided by a majority present can almost invariably be disposed of when first discussed, because, should there be an equal number for and against, the person presiding, being given an extra or casting vote, can make a majority immediately. I cannot but think that, amongst other reasons, it is to guard against the mistakes inevitably arising from this too frequent haste that the Lord wishes us, as I believe He does, to defer our decision and continue our conference until unanimity is reached. At least, it seems to me to be clear that a method which is as likely to lend to a wrong as it is to guide to a right decision cannot be a divine method, and ought not to be followed by those possessing the divine nature, and therefore capable of having the mind of Christ (2 Pet. 1:4, 1 Cor. 2:16), in whose workings mistakes are unknown.
2. A second and very serious objection is that this plan is eminently calculated to lead to dissension both secret and public ; a truth with which any who have had much experience on the subject must, I fear, be sadly familiar. Can anything be thought of as more likely to stir up contention and cause disaffection than that a section of the church should have their wishes and, possibly their sincere convictions as to what is for the good of the work, rejected and shelved by there being another section of the church, with no greater advantage or claim than that of being slightly stronger in numbers, who have different opinions ? 
3. Here, also, I urge that a method at all calculated or even likely to cause disagreement and possibly open division, cannot be of that God who is "not a God of confusion, but of peace," (1 Cor. 14:33). 

1. 
   
   
   
   But when nothing is done till one judgment is come to, everyone is pleased with that which is done ; and so discord and disunion are averted, while concord and union and strengthened, bringing spiritual blessing to the whole community.
2. It will doubtless be agreed that, seeing that we pray, "Lead us not into temptation," a method which tends to so lead us cannot be of God, who delivers us from the Evil One. But given a brother possessed of an ardent and honest conviction that the plan he proposes is right and good, does not the method now under discussion present very manifest and severe temptations to him unseemly conduct ? He has every inducement to "pack" the meeting, by secretly urging those who think with him to be present in force, rather than leaving it to the Lord to bring together those who it is known to Him are qualified to deal with the particular matter to be discussed. He is tempted by vehemence in argument to gain other adherents to his own view, rather than by patient reflection to submit his judgment to the Lord. In his eagerness to gain a majority of votes he is more likely to be anxious to persuade others by his reason than he is to be willing to be persuaded by what they may say, even though they may speak with the mind of the Lord. 
3. 
   
   Now the fact that such temptations as these do beset us, and that not infrequently brethren fall under their power, as the result of a desire to obtain a majority of members on their side, at once leads me to question whether the method giving rise thereto can be of the Lord. 
   
   
   On the other hand, the first temptation--that to "pack" a meeting--is absolutely banished by the necessity for entire accord, and the other two, if not entirely removed, are very much weakened in force ; while the desire on the part of all to give up their private views, if needful, and to arrive at the mind of the Lord, as the only possible means of reaching an unanimous judgment, is very much increased. 
   
   
   In short, the one method appears likely to lead me to press forward my views (possibly honestly believing them to be right and best) ; the other to necessitate my carefully waiting upon the Lord for His views.
4. The fourth objection I submit is as follows. In Romans 14, verses 4 and 5, 1 Cor. 12:12-27, Ephesians 4:11-16, and other scriptures, the Church is compared to, and its relationship to Christ illustrated by, the human body. Of this spiritual body each believer is individually a member, while the Lord Jesus is the head of the whole body. The more this analogy is prayerfully studied, the more it will be seen to be the most perfect comparison the divine wisdom of God has presented to us to illustrate the working of the Church. 
   
   
   Very little thought is required to see two things concerning the human body--(a) that it is not the members that plan and will and control the body ; these functions are vested solely in the head, it being the duty and beauty of the members to recognise and respond to the impulses and directions of the head : (b) that any back of unity and harmony in the co-operation of the members in doing the will of the head indicates a measure of disease in those members where the failure is found ; as, for instance, if one arm or hand fails to co-operate with the other for the completing of a desired piece of handiwork, it is clear that the member has become more or less independent of the head. 
   
   
   Now, when this latter state is reached, the proper and hopeful course to take is patiently to resort to such means as will result in the restoration of the undisputed control of the head ; and so when it is found in the church that there is a divergence of opinion upon a matter connected with the church life and work, the proper plan to adopt is by patience and prayer to wait for the whole body to be again brought under the control of the Lord and into united judgment and action. It is true this is sometimes found impossible in the human body, and means have to be taken to prevent the diseased member from taking any part in the working of the body and from injuriously affecting other members ; yet this necessity does not interfere with the remaining members still unitedly submitting to the head : so likewise is it true that sometimes a believer so far ceases to submit to the Lord as to necessitate his being similarly dealt with and prevented from leading astray other believers, either by the Lord laying him aside by sickness, or by removing him by death (1 Cor. 11:30), or by the church, at the direction of the Lord, taking the needful steps to prevent the offender further obstructing the work of the Lord ; but here also this does not hinder the remaining members from cordially and undividedly submitting to the Lord. 
   
   
   Thus the difficulties which arise in the way of unanimity have their simple and sufficient solution, and afford no ground for the body departing from the law of entire submission to the head and unbroken co-operation of the several members with each other. 
   
   
   For a church to depart from this rule and to act according to the desire of a majority only of the believers in its membership, is as if the affairs and actions of a man's body should be decided upon by the impulses of a certain number of the members thereof, which is a practical denial of the truth that the head alone has the right to and can control, and, moreover, is a sure means of producing confusion and not co-operation, for what would be the case with my body if it moved in a certain direction and attempted to work with no surer means of knowing the will of my head than the fact that two legs and feel, one arm and hand and one eye, being a majority of my active members, manifested certain impulses, as opposed to the other eye and the remaining hand and arm, a minority of my working members ? 
   
   
   The violence done to this striking analogy of the body and the church, is to me a sure proof that voting by majorities is not a divinely instituted or scripturally sanctioned practice, however convenient and sufficient it may appear in worldly societies.
5. The last remarks lead on to the consideration of the fact that by the failure to act in complete unity the church ceases to give one of the most effective forms of testimony to the world that is possible. 
   
   
   In John 17:20-21, the Lord Jesus, in speaking to the Father, says, "Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also who shall believe on Me through their word ; that they may all be one even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory which Thou has given Me I have given unto them ; that they may be one even as we are one ; I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected into one ; that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and lovedst them, even as Thou lovedst Me." 
   
   
   Without attempting an exhaustive exposition of this passage, it is sufficient for us to notice three things :--
   
   
   (a) The Lord's desire for all His people to be perfected into one ; 
   
   
   (b) The pattern of that oneness to be the oneness of the Father and the Son ; 
   
   
   (c) The object of this oneness to be the testimony thereby given to the world.
   
   
   With regard to (a) the prayer of our Lord was in effect that the Holy Spirit might be sent into every one who should believe on His name, so that by the Spirit of God indwelling each of us we might all be united into one in God ; so that (b), the pattern of our unity should be the oneness of the Father and the Son, who are one in the communion of the third Person of the Godhead, the ever-blessed Spirit. But, as bearing on our subject, it is to be specially observed that the Father, the Son and the Spirit are not only one in Person, but also in action ; in all their doings there is the most perfect harmonious unity : and it would be sheer blasphemy, in fact it would logically involve the most absolute atheism, to suppose the doings of the Godhead to be regulated by the decision of any two of the Person thereof, the one Person being either opposed to the view of the two, or merely submitting to being outvoted. 
   
   
   But this being the case with the three Persons of the Deity, and it being utterly incompatible with the oneness of the Father and the Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit, how can it be any more in order on the part of those who, being indwelt by the same Spirit, are to be so united in life and action as to conform to the pattern of the oneness of God, even as our Lord prayed "that they may be one even as we are one"? 
   
   
   As to our last point (c) it is to be observed that believers are to manifest a corporate union publicly, for the world is to see it. The object the Lord desires to attain is that the world may know and believe that He was sent by the Father, and that the believer is a sharer in the love of the Father to the Son. Why He chose this method I shall hope to next show, but for the moment what I strenuously urge is that the deliberate departing from oneness of action by adopting the practice of majority voting is undeniably not even attempting to attain such united working as is set forth in these words of the Lord Jesus, and cannot, therefore, result in that testimony which He taught oneness alone could give. 
   
   
   I submit it as an invariably true principle for the guidance of the children of God, that any course of action which tends to, if it does not wholly accomplish, the marring, if it be but partially, of their testimony before the world, is not a line of conduct which is of the Father but the rather of the world.
6. Out of the foregoing there arises and objection in dealing with which we may discuss how it is possible for unity of judgment and action to be attained. 
   
   
   Not but what in divine things the question of "How?" is of comparatively small importance. It is for us to at least endeavour to obey the revealed will of the Lord, and to seek after unanimity ; and we may leave to our God the question of how it is possible for Him to bring to one mind many persons of different types of character, of different habits of thought, having varying ways of looking at the same subject and sometimes opposite ways of doing the same thing. 
   
   
   I freely concede the point that humanly speaking unanimity is not possible. To bring together scores, and perhaps hundreds, of mere men and women and expect them to come to one unanimous decision upon questions of frequently a perplexing and delicate nature is to look for more than fallen human nature is capable of. Because each human spirit is a separate individuality possessed of the power and tendency of acting independently of every other being, therefore it si true, "many men, many minds." 
   
   
   But, as we have seen, the glorious and all-important fact concerning the children of God is that in place of being any longer entirely dissevered spiritually from every other creature, we are all indewelt by one and the same Spirit, the Spirit of Christ ; and when this fact is clearly recognised and acted upon, the humanly impossible is seen to be divinely possible. The human body is composed of many various substances, and the several members--hands, ears, eyes, &c.--vary vastly in form and use, and yet these manifest differences do not hinder the whole body working together, because each part is under the personal influence of the one spirit inhabiting the body. So it is true the members of the body of Christ differ greatly, but because we are every one indwelt by the one Spirit, the co-operation of all members is possible, and should be sought after. It may be that with this, as with other Christlike graces, full and eternal harmony will only be attained when the last trace of the rebellious carnal spirit shall have been removed at the coming of the Lord ; but, on the other hand, with this, as with other fruit of the Spirit, we should aim at perfection and "gien diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit" (Eph. 4:3= ; and then a unanimity can be reached which will astonish us, just as time back should have been astonished had we been told that love, joy and peace could be ours to the degree they now are through the Spirit. 
   
   
   Here I state why I believe the Lord chose this oneness of mind and working as His testimony to the world. It was that throught the fact of His people acting upon a principle and in a manner that the world has never found continuously possible, it might be made apparent that a divine power was at work amongst them, that the Spirit of God, not the spirit of the world, controlled them all. And, therefore, it is that I say the testimony is utterly ruined by the plan of a majority vote settling a question, for this is the very method which worldly men uniformly adopt as the only practicable plan known to them ; and I doubt not it was from them that this, like numerous other evil practices, was borrowed and adopted by the Church, in days when, by the toleration of evil doctrine and doing, she had so grieved the Holy Spirit as to forfeit His unifying and directing help. 
   
   
   But to take up the leading thought of this sixth section of my argument, and definitely state the objection I have before me, I suggest that, seeing it is one of the functions and rights of the Spirit to control the whole body, for us as a Church to arbitrarily say He shall express His will through a section only of the members of the body here present, is to assume the office of dictating to Him whom it is our duty and wisdom to obey, and to thus prevent Him from fully doing that which He would graciously do for our blessing, namely, lead to unanimity ; and also to forfeit that certainty of knowing what is His will which an undivided judgment alone can give ; for while it is certain what is the desire of my spirit if my whole body works to the one end, it would be by no means so certain were some only of my members to seek that end, and the rest to oppose.
7. Seventhly, it is to be noted that the whole burden of Scripture testimony is on the side of unanimity. This is the more clearly seen by observing two very remarkable lines of thought--first, that unanimity is in the Word of God associated with spiritual prosperity ; and, on the other hand, a divided judgment with lack of spirituality. 
   
   
   For instance, Israel in the widerness were in a state of unbelief at the time the spies went up to search out the land, and ten of the twelve selected men reflected the condition of the people, dissuading the nation from going forward, and the two only, Joshua and Caleb, persuading them to do so. A very striking instance of the minority having the mind of the Lord, but of their being hopelessly outvoted ; and by acting on the view of the majority the whole people made a fatal error. 
   
   
   Again, how sad was the state of the kingdom while some of the people followed Saul, and a smaller company helped David ; but how significant the statement, (1 Chr. 12:40 and 38) that "there was joy in Israel" when "all Israel were of one heart to make David king." Once more, what a time of spiritual prosperity was inaugurated when David proposed to once again seek the Lord and worship before the ark of the Lorde ; "and all the assembly said they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people." (1 Chr. 13:1-4) 
   
   
   On the other hand, how miserable was the condition of affairs when most of the people worshipped Baal, while 7,000 followed Jehovah (1 Kings 19:20) ; but what a revival of godiliness in Judah is indicated by the words, connected with the proposal to return to the keeping of the passover feast, "the thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the congregation," (2 Chron. 30:4). 
   
   
   Yet again, what a startling contrast is seen between the rapidly increasing prosperity of the people during the undivided allegiance of the twelve tribes to David and Solomon, as compared with the surely downward course after the division under Rehoboam. 
   
   
   And how terrible was the condition of Israel when it could be written (1 Kings 16:21) "Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts ; half of the people followed Tibni, the son of Ginath, to make him king : and half followed Omri. But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni" : as compared with the comparative proseperity of Judah and Benjamin in their unbroken submission to the rule of the godly Asa. 
   
   
   I am aware that it may be said that these examples from the Old Testament have no very direct bearing upon the government of a Christian Church ; but they were "written for our admonition," and the remarkable frequency with which unanimity and prosperity are connected in these and similar instances, gives an exphatic Scriptural testimony in favour of undivided action by the people of God ; and the lesson is yet more impressive when it is seen that the New Testament follows upon the same side, and sets before us under the new covenant, the same precept and example as was set before the earthly people of God. 
   
   
   Take, for example, such exhortations as these-- 
   
   
   Rom. 15:5, 6 : "Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus : that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
   
   
   1 Cor. 1:10 : "Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you ; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind, and in the same judgment." 
   
   
   2 Cor. 13:11 : "Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind ; live in peace ; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." 
   
   
   Galatians : The direct object of this epistle was to bring the Church to oneness of mind upon the question discussed ; to exhort them to all walk by the Spirit, and thus to avoid the "strife, factions and divisions," spoken of as being of the flesh, (ch. 5:20). 
   
   
   Ephesians 4:3 : "Giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." The "unity of the Spirit," is that unity which is manifested by the Spirit through united action on the part of the body ; and therefore in this passage the apostle at once proceeds to a revelation of the inter-working of the whole body in perfect harmony. See verses 3 to 16. 
   
   
   Philippians 1:27 : "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ ; that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel." 
   
   
   Philippians 2:2 : "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind ; doing nothing through faction or through vain glory." 
   
   
   Philippians 4:2 : "I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to be of the same mind in the Lord." 
   
   
   Colossians 3:17 : When this Church met together to discuss the work of the Lord they were met with this injunction, "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Now, if a matter had been decided by a majority only, the members of the minority could not have given thanks for the doing of that which they had urged should not be done ; therefore the plan of so deciding a matter forces some to take part in doing things for which they cannot give thanks, and which they cannot do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Can a method which forces unscriptural conduct upon some members, be itself Scriptural? The only alternative is that they continue to show their objections by refraining from the work to which they objected. Can this be considered a Scriputral course in the face of the above quoted exhortation in Phil. 1:27, "with one soul striving"? 
   
   
   1 Thessalonians 5:13 : "Be at peace among yourselves." In section 2 I have sought to show that dissension is one of the probable and, indeed, frequent results of the plan. 
   
   
   2 Thessalonians 3:16 : "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in all ways," which must include business meetings. 
   
   
   1 Timothy 6:3, 4 ; 2 Timothy 2:23 ; Titus 3:9 : In the first passage certain men, and in the second and third certain questions are condemned, and the avoidance thereof exhorted, because they "gender strifes ;" that is, not that every time a foolish question is discussed it leads to strife, but that there is a general tendency in such discussion to provoke dissension. So it does not require, before the method stands condemned, that every time a matter is decided by a majority vote it should provoke strife. It is sufficient if it has a tendency that way ; if it is not surprising that strife results. 
   
   
   James 1:5 : "If any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not ; and it shall be given him." When a church meets together and some thinnk one course the best, and some another, it is evident one, or both, of the parties has not the wisdom of God in the matter. This Scripture indicates what should then be done. Not the opinion of the majority to be acted upon, for they may be wrong in their judgment ; and for the same reason, not that of the minority : but let all wait on God for wisdom, and it shall be given -- in God's time -- to those who ask in faith.
   
   
   Thus saith the Scriputre ; and in addition to these passages, exhorting to "peace," to "oneness of mind," to "all speaking the same thing," to being "perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment," we have the already commented upon words of the Lord Jesus, from John 17, and the Scriptural analogy of the body ; and also the example of a church transacting affairs in its corporate capacity recorded in Acts 15, which we shall now proceed to consider.
8. As if the Lord foresaw that the precepts and whole tenour of His Word would not be sufficient to preserve His people from adopting almost universally the practice of the world in the matter now in question, He caused to be given a very full narration of the discussion of an important and intricate question by the church at Jerusalem, including the apostles, to whom was specially committed the knowledge of His will, and who were undoubtedly those most likely to know what method was most accordant with the mind of the Spirit. This record is found in the 15th chapter of the Acts. When closely studied the story gives not only the decision upon the question actually discussed, but also the principles by which the judgments of believers were influenced, and, further, that which directly bears on our subject, the order of discussion. 
   
   
   Before the reader goes further I would earnestly ask that the chapter be carefully read, and then the following remarks may be the better considered. 
   
   
   To the Gentile church at Antioch there had come from Judea certain men who taught the brethren that, as circumcision had from the time of Abraham been the sign of a person belonging to the visible company of the people of God, they could not be saved unless they were circumcised. Paul and Barnabas dissented from this teaching, and in order to the obtaining of the opinion of the apostles and the mother church, the brethren at Antioch deputed Paul and others to proceed to Jerusalem and there discuss the question ; and, we read, "when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders." 
   
   
   The order in which the matter proceeded is then shown as being -- 
   
   
   1. "They rehearsed all that God had done with them," evidently including in their remarks a statement of their having refrained from teaching Gentile believers that they must be circumcised, and also laying before the church the facts concerning the discussion that had gone on at Antioch. That they did this is clear from verse 24, where the apostles display a knowledge of what had transpired at Antioch, which things they evidently learned n the information of Paul and Barnabas. 
      
      
      This the matter was laid before the church, and the proposal to enforce circumcision thrown open for discussion ; whereupon we find, 
      
      
   2. Certain of the Pharisees, not having been yet divested of their sectarian spirit, rose and urged that is was needful that Gentile Christians should be circumcised and enjoined to keep the law of Moses. This imposing of the ceremonial Judaic law upon Gentils had not been the practice of the early church, as may be seen by the recorded teaching of the apostles and their speeches on this occasion ; but the addresses of these Pharisees made it clear, 
      
      
   3. That there was existing a division of judgment upon the question. Now, had their method been the more modern plan that we are discussing, it would have been recorded that they ascertained on which side of the question there was a majority of members, and so settled the matter. But, as opposed to this, we learn that when this divergence of view is manifested, 
      
      
   4. The meeting is adjourned, and a fresh gathering of apostiles, elders (v. 6), and the whole multitutde of the disciples (v. 12), constituting the "whole church," (v. 22), is called together to consider the matter. 
      
      
   5. Then we learn that upon the subject being again brought forward, there was "much disputing" (v. 7), showing that those wide and opposed differences of opinion which now manifest themselves were seen then also. Here again I remark that had the apostolic method of reaching a decision been the present one, we should expect to find a record to that effect ; but, on the contrary, the disputing and speech-making uninterruptedly continued,--Peter, Barnabas, Paul and James all freely expressing their thoughts, until we find the significant record (v. 22), 
      
      
   6. "Then it seemed good to the apostles and elders with the whole church," to do certain things. This is the essence of the whole question--nothing done until all differences have disappeared in unanimity ; then action taken. So that, with the approval of the whole church, it could be written to the brethren at Antioch, "it seemed good to us, having come to one accord," (v. 25). And it is of the most momentous imortance that we should notice that the church thus "being of one accord," (Phil. 2:2), and having learned to "all speak the same thing," so that there were "no divisions among them" but that they were "perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment," (I Cor. 1:10), they are then able to calmly and confidently claim the authority of the Lord Himself for their decision, and say, (v. 28), "it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us."
   
   
   Thus would our divine Lord impressively set before His people the method to be followed by the church when considering matters in a corporate capacity, and teach us that when, by patiently waiting before Him and focussing upon the particular subject in hand the light He has given, the church comes to oneness of mind in their decision, we can then claim His approval of and authority for that which we do. 
   
   
   This teaching is the underlying basis of the seemingly difficult passage, Mat. 18:15-18. There the Lord says that if my brother sin against me, and I cannot by personal influence lead him to repentance, and thus bury the matter, I am then to take one or two more brethren and see him with them. It is evident that these brethren would not agree to help me unless they are convinced that I am in the right and my brother is the offender ; so that there is thus found a consensus of opinion on the subject. But if the sinning brother will not listen to these further remonstrances, I am then to narrate the circumstances to the church. Once more, it is evident that the church will not side with me unless I am in the right ; but if they--the church, not a section thereof, but "the church," implying the whole church, just as when we speak of "a city," we mean the whole city--agree with my view of the case, we have the fact that a body of those indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and so having the mind of Christ, are of one judgment in the matter ; and that if the offending brother will not hear and submit to the church, he must be dealt with and treated as a Gentile and a publican, that is, he must be put out of church fellowship. When the church thus unanimously deals with a case, the Lord assures us that we may be certain of doing the right thing, and that "what things soever we shall so bind on earth shall be bound in heaven," for the simple reason that it is the will of our Lord in heaven, that, through the Spirit, we have done on earth. 
   
   
   So, again, Paul having instructed the Corinthian church to this deal with a wicked person (I Cor. 5), upon learning that the discipline had produced in him the desired repentance, instructs them (II Cor. 2) to now forgive and receive back the offender and restore him to the joy of the fellowship of saints ; and having invoked the name of the Lord Jesus for the former measure, he now claims the authority of the Lord for the latter course ; and thus the one who had been "bound" over to Satan as an evil-doer for the destruction of the flesh, is now, upon repentance, "loosed" by the Church from the sentence, that no advantage may be gained by Satan. 
   
   
   This, in this practical matter also the Lord indicates His willingness to recognise the decision of a church, if that decision be unanimous ; nor is there one single precept or example in His Word to indicate or even appear to sanction the thought that He allows the authority of those of His name to be attached to the will of a section only of those of His people who have to decide a question. They may, and sometimes do, by that means decide according to His will ; but they have no Scriptural right to claim His authority and profess to act in His name ; such authority being clearly given to the company of His people, and to them only, who act unanimously. 
   
   
   Against the application of Acts 15 to the matter in question it has been urged that the plan there shown is doubtless advisable and possible in matters of such great importance as the one then discussed, but that it is neither needful nor likely that unanimity should be or can be reached in details say connected with the construction or fitting up of a hall or schoolroom, most of the church being unacquainted with such matters. But surely this is a very irrational objection, for if the Lord has undertaken to produce oneness of mind upon important and intricate questions, why should there be any difficulty in His doing so upon questions comparatively simple and unimportant? And as to the necessity of these latter things being brought within the rule, I would ask is it not often over absurdly trifling matters that personal differences most frequently arise? and ought not these things therefore to be dealt with in the way most likely to produce and preseerve peace? 
   
   
   Beloved brethren, these numerous passages are written, and this clear example is given, for our guidance, and it is for us to conform our practice to the Scriptural pattern, nor is there the least suggestion in the Word of God that any other than this procedure was followed, whatever the question to be decided by the church might be. 
   
   
9. It now only remains for me to offer some concluding and confirmatory remarks. 
   
   
   I am asked -- Do you really believe this plan possible? My reply is that in divine things the question is both irrelevant and irreverent. For the believer in Almighty God there is but one question -- not, Is it possible? but, Is it Scriptural? not, Can it be done? but, Does God, in His holy Word, bid us do it? 
   
   
   I have endeavoured to show clearly and definitely settle the latter question, and, I say, It is Scriptural! Then it is also possible. It was impossible humanly for the man with the withered arm to stretch it forth. He would have done so long since had he been able. But when the Lord bade him do the impossible, it was at once done ; for the question of power rested with Him who gave the command. Thus it is with this question, and all other His commandments.
   
   
   Moreover, I would point out that the Apostles uniformly insisted that they were men of like passions with others, (Acts 10:26, 14:15). The believers, also, who gathered at that pattern church meeting had very deeply rooted prejudices, very stubborn human wills, yea, all those infirmities of mind and spirit which some fear must render this plan of church government inoperative in our days. But the thing was not impossible the, and, therefore, is not now on this account. 
   
   
   Yet, again, as I informed you, there is in this very city of Bristol a church numbering many hundreds of members, the affairs of which, since its founding on August 13th, 1832, by the late George Muller and Henry Craik, have been constantly settled in this way. Further there is the China Inland Mission, the Councils of which deal with the evangelising of the vast country of China ; involving the support and control of nearly 750 missionaries and large numbers of native teachers, and the securing and disbursing of many thousands of pounds annually ; involving the also the solving of problems far more intricate than nay that usually come before home churches ; involving further the central governing not of one but of scores of scattered churches in that immense empire ; and yet the Secretary writes me that since the foundiing of the Mission in 1865 the affairs of its great work have been conducted on the plan proposed by Scripture. 
   
   
   Thus, dealing with these two cases only we have, in the aggregate, 103 years of modern and satisfactory experience of the method ; simply proving, as might be safely expected, that in the "keeping of His commandments there is great reward," (Psalm 119:11). 
   
   
   What reward? it will perhaps be asked. Is there not great risk of matters needful to be decided proplptly being delayed, to the injury of the work? Let the Secretary of the China Inland Mission answer, and confirm my remarks under section 1, page 5. I asked him, -- Has any matter which it would have been for the good of the Lord's work to have had decided propmtly, been delayed to the prejudice of the work by the waiting for unanimity? He replied -- No, decidedly not. Whenever there has been delay, it has always proved to have been a wise step, and the necessary guidance has come later on. 
   
   
   I asked also -- Has the experience of this plan shown any distinct advantages accruing therefrom? The reply is -- Yes, after-experience has proved that by this method mistakes have been avoided which might otherwise have been made. 
   
   
   And I am further informed that no inconveniences have been found to arise from the plan. 
   
   
   Is it not a great gain to avoid mistakes? Does not this method wholly cast us upon the Lord, and so, by our dependence, glorify Him? Do we not thus corporately "acknowledge Him in all our ways"? and should we not so secure the fulfilment of the accompanying promise "He shall direct they paths"? (Prov. 3: 5, 6). 
   
   
   I am persuaded that by attnetion to three things all difficult in this matter may be removed, and unanimity always attained, when the Lord deems it desirable. 
   
   
1. The most diligent and careful enquiry in ascertaining that candidates for church fellowship are (a) scripturally converted to God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, so as to be indewelt by the Holy Spirit, Whose working it is produces unanimity ; and (b) that there is every reason to suppose from their past life and present conduct that they are really desirous of knowing and doing the will of God. 
   
   
2. The sedulous cultivation of personall communion with God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit ; by regular meditation upon the Scriptures, so that we may advance in the knowledge of His will ; and by habitual prayer, wherein we bring all our doing and thinking beneath His inspection, and have discrepancies and evils shown us ; and whereby we receive grace to do those things which are pleasing to Him. 
   
   
3. The due and loving exercise of discipline against any on whose conduct the Word of God commands discipline.

So our corporate life would be lived benath the eye and under the control of God ; and the Spirit of the Lord would obtain continually increasing power over us, working in us to will and do of God's good pleasure ; so that we should be one in action in and through the Spirit, even as the Father and the Son are One in the communion of the Spirit, and thus would our Lord's desire and prayer be fulfilled more and more perfectly ; so would the harmony and love of our church life be secured and promoted ; and so should our joint testimony beofre the world be unceasing and effective, to the honour and praise of Him to whom belongs the glory for ever and ever. 

For reference sake I subjoin the terms of the motion now under our considration. 

That the God of all grace may give us grace to do His will for ever is the prayer of

Your fellow servant of Jesus Christ,

G. H. LANG

Globe House, Old KIng Street,

Bristol, August 1900.

PROPOSED MOTION

"It is unanimously Resolved that in future no proposal shall be deemed to be carried or be recorded as a resolution until the church unanimously consents to the same at a duly convened church meeting ; it being understood that the absence of any objection to a proposed motion may be taken to signify its acceptance."

Offices and Titles (by T. Stanley)

Offices and Titles 
T. Stanley




Men love titles. Men love position. Men love status. People love men of status. People love the illusion of security that comes with men having titles among them. These things have been abused in the church. This is obvious to most people. But why? And more importantly, what can we do to correct it and how can we relate to these truths in a healthy way?

Offices

First of all, our modern idea of an “office” is not a Biblical one. The Bible was not written in Dallas, TX. We’ve tried to interpret and apply Eastern ideas in a Western culture. When we read about offices, we interpret it as being the same as someone who has a management position in corporate America.

A Biblical office is not the same as having a title, a business card, a sign on your desk, and a salary with benefits. We cannot forget that the church is alive. She is a living organism and the church is relational. Hopefully in this chapter, we will see gifts, titles, and offices the Bible speaks of, are much different than what we’ve made them to be.

The word office simply means the “function of” or the “work of.” In 1 Timothy 3:1 the phrase “office of a bishop” comes from one Greek word. The one Greek word is episcope. It simply means to do overseeing or to do the work of an overseer. …“If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” All this is saying is that if you want to help others in their lives by watching out for them and helping them in their growth, then that’s a good thing to do. But when we typically read that verse, it runs through our filter of our Western culture. Read the verse again. When you read the word “office” this time, think of the word as “doing a work,” because that’s what the word means. A Biblical office is more of a description of activity, as opposed to a title.

Next, we see the word “office” again in 1 Tim. 3:10, 13. Here it is used in conjunction with the work of a servant or “deacon.” The phrase “office of a deacon” is the one Greek word, diakoneo. To be a deacon is to be a servant or to do the work of a servant, or “to wait upon.” If you serve someone in the church then you have just entered into the office of a deacon. Remember, the word office is a description of activity. To be a deacon is not to have a position; it just means that you are doing the work of serving others on a consistent basis.

In Acts Ch 6, the church was brand new in Jerusalem. Thousands of new believers were hanging out together, listening to teachings, and eating together. In chapter 6, verse 1 of Acts, we see that there were some widows who were not getting served food at the daily gatherings. They were being looked over. Now that could cause some real hurt feelings! What did the church do about it? The whole congregation chose 7 guys who were filled with the Holy Spirit, of good reputation, and who had wisdom to remedy this situation. Note that the same word for deacon, “diakoneo”, in 1 Tim. 3 is used here in Acts 6 as well. These 7 men entered into the office of a deacon. Or, to not be religious about it, we could just say that they were doing some serving. But why the big deal about who did the serving? Why did they have to be filled with the Spirit? Why did they need wisdom and have a good reputation just to hand out food? Why did the apostles lay their hands on them just to serve some tables?

In our day and age, we would probably choose any brother just to serve a few tables. “Hey Joe, grab a few of those teenagers over there and pass out that food would ya? The widows are getting a little upset ‘cause they didn’t get their ham sandwiches.”

Be aware that the same qualifications for doing serving found in 1 Tim 3 (office of a deacon), are the same qualifications that the 7 men had in Acts Ch 6. Same function – serving. Why the qualifications for serving? Well, look at the results.

Immediately after the passage about waiting on tables it says in verse 7 that “the Word of God kept spreading and the number of disciples continued to increase…”

Wow! Then in verse 8 it tells us more about Stephen. In verse 8, “Stephen full of grace and power was performing great wonders and signs among the people.” Remember? He was one of the guys that was waiting on tables!

The point is that the men who were serving tables were among the people. They were with the people, mixing up with them, speaking to them, and loving them. Passing out the food was a great opportunity to speak, love, pray with people, and to serve. That’s why anyone wanting to serve (do deacon work) should have a strong relationship with God. Because when we serve, it is an opportunity to increase the Kingdom. Someone who is serving half-heartedly not filled with the Spirit will eventually complain about it. Sooner or later they’ll have a bad attitude and not represent Christ at all.

I Timothy Chapter three provides us a list of character qualities for people who are wanting to watch others lives or who is wanting to do serving.

In this passage, Paul tells Timothy that they need to be living right, not addicted to wine, managing their own household well, etc. This is important because anyone who is serving or leading has a tremendous opportunity o advance the Kingdom, just like the brothers in Acts who were waiting tables. Their character should be of good quality. Let’s look at a common error however, that is made concerning those character qualities.

“Blameless .” This is the Greek word anepileptos. It simply means there is nothing in your life that needs a rebuke. It doesn’t mean that this man has never committed sin. That would disqualify everyone. It simply means that you are living a right and clean life with God. To be above reproach or blameless simply means that you are not walking in sin. Past sins can not disqualify anyone from leading out, serving, or helping others because then no one could ever be qualified to do it. If it is in your heart to help others in the church in such a way that you are watching their lives and helping in their growth, then you must have your own life working well and not be walking in sin.

Gifts Are to be Observed, Not Filled.

Again, the church is organic and alive. We should never force anything. We are not to try to find people to fill positions. We are not to see the lists in scripture of the various gifts and functions, and then try to fill those job positions. We see in scripture that there are teachers, prophets, shepherds, evangelists, apostles, deacons, administrations, helps, etc. We should not shop the list by saying, “Ok, we need a prophet. Who is going to be our prophet? Now, we need an evangelist. Who is going to be our evangelist? We need a shepherd. Who is going to fill the role of shepherd among us?”

These gifts and various functions are to naturally evolve and just organically operate among us. A person’s gift is, whatever it is. If a person naturally functions in the gift of evangelism, then we might say that he is an evangelist. If a person operates in the gift of the prophetic, then over time, we might say it looks like he or she may be a prophet. If a person naturally functions in shepherding, then we might say that they are a shepherd. We don’t go out and try to find a shepherd. And we certainly are not to conduct job interviews and hire a shepherd.

Let’s briefly look at Titus Chapter 1. In verse 5, “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above approach as God’s steward, not self-willed not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self – controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

This is a great passage. Paul told Titus, who was in Crete, to appoint elders in every city. Who should Titus appoint as elders? Those who were already elders! He didn’t make them elders. He just recognized them publicly. They already had the qualifications within themselves.

Look at the word “namely” that Paul uses in the first sentence. If you will read that word with understanding, you will see that Titus was to just publicly recognize what already was. Those who already were elders, the seasoned brothers who could do overseeing effectively were to be pointed out. He was not to groom men for a position. They were not to take a six week training course. He was not to run an ad in the paper. He was not to conduct interviews. He was not to form an elder search committee. The elders were already there in the midst of the people. They already had the qualifications evident in their lives, they just needed to be pointed out. The list of qualifications Paul gave was just to help Titus recognize them and find them from among the people. Notice also that the qualifications for overseeing or eldership have nothing to do with having education. It’s all character.

Whatever gifts happen to be among us, simply happen to be among us. One particular group may not have anyone who functions as an evangelist much. You may not have any apostles among you. You may not have someone who functions primarily as a prophet. That’s OK. Don’t try to create one. If your numbers are small, you will not have all the gifts and functions among you. But you will have some. As more people begin to come around, you will observe more gifts and functions operating in different members.

You cannot learn how to be an evangelist. You either are one or you are not one. You can’t go to school to become a pastor. You either have that kind of heart or you don’t. These gifts are from God, they are not skills to be learned. You cannot study and then become a prophet. You either have a gift from God or you don’t. These are supernatural, spiritual gifts. As you mature in Christ, your gifts will become more potent or fine tuned, but you can’t take a course and become a gift to the church.

You the reader, have gifts, right now from God that He gave you to edify the church. Today, there is a real over emphasis in the church to “know what your gifts are.” There is no need to take a personality profile test to discover your gifts. As you are abiding in Jesus and filled with the Spirit of God, your gifts will come to the surface and you will naturally function in them. You will know what your gifts are as you and others observe how the Lord is using you and has used you in the past. Don’t sit in a living room together and say, “you’re a this and you’re a that.” Christians are often labeling themselves according to personality types, and there is no profit in it. The overemphasis in the church today to know what different people’s gifts are largely stems from self focused, humanistic, feel good psychology.

Having a focus on labeling ourselves with gifts does not help us be more of what we already are. It only trips us up in trying to fulfill something that we think we should be fulfilling. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. And we need to keep our eyes on the cross.

We don’t even fully know the full definition of the various gifts. Over the centuries, we’ve modified them, interpreted them, categorized them and canned them. Just look at what we’ve done with the gift of shepherding.

Looking at another example, an evangelist is listed as a gift to the church. Our modern day definition of an evangelist is someone who converts lost people to the faith. The word means “bringer of good news.” What if an evangelist really is a gift to the church, as it is stated in the New Testament? A true evangelist may be someone in the church who is always sharing good news with not only unbelievers, but with Christians as well. There is a tremendous benefit from encouraging other Christians with various messages of the good news of God, even if they are already saved. We as Christians really need good news all the time. Could we be limiting or even missing the true gift of an evangelist by defining him and categorizing him as we tend to do?

We have so many assumptions, that we would do better to not focus on what our gifts are so much and then try to fulfill them, when we may be working from an erroneous model in the first place. We are whatever we are. Let’s let the gifts that we have, organically define themselves . Our identity is in Christ, not the labels or gifts we are to the church.

An apple tree makes apples because it is an apple tree. Apple trees don’t learn that they are apple trees, and then start producing apples.

The School of Life

As individual Christians, how do we grow? How do people in general grow? How does a plant or a tree grow? How do children learn? How did you learn to swim? How do you learn to have a good marriage? How do we learn to raise kids?

I’m not talking about gaining head knowledge. I’m not talking about the ability to regurgitate information. I’m talking about true growth. How do we get those things in us that no one can take away? How do we truly learn the lessons in life that are now rock solid in us? How do we arrive at things that are unshakeable? How do we gain those precious gems in our character that remain forever? One word:

Struggle.

The way of true growth is through struggle. The way of true growth is by pain. Sorry, but there is no way around it. You can hear teachings all day long about how you need to cry out to God – but unless you feel the pain, you will not really be crying out. You can hear a teaching or read a book about how you need to be broken, but unless God breaks you, you will still have some form of ambition and self reliance.

Brother Prem Pradhan, an apostle to Nepal, told me in 1992 that growth comes only through suffering. I didn’t believe him. I thought I could grow by learning. I thought I would grow if I got all my questions answered. Not true. There is no formula for growth. There is no formula for the growth of the church either. We grow when we are brought down to nothing. If we are not experiencing Christ in a certain area of our life, God will allow us to be laid waste in that area until we learn to cry out to Him. Only in the person of Jesus Christ will we find the secret to the Christian life. How is this related to our chapter title of gifts, offices and titles? Keep reading.

The Absence of Dominant Men Builds a Strong Church

During Paul’s missionary journeys, he entered a town, preached the gospel, stayed a while, and then he left. After the early churches were planted, the apostles left them shortly afterwards. They did not recognize elders in those cities until much later. Sometimes it was months, sometimes it was years later until elders were even recognized. It was Paul’s habit to appoint elders during his second time through a town. We even see in Titus 1:5-9 Paul instructing Titus to recognize elders in Crete. This is after the Jews accepted Christ in Crete from the preaching of Peter years before.

After the apostles preached the word and left town, the new believers in that city only had the Lord Jesus and each other. They didn’t even have a New Testament. It had not been written yet. Paul’s letters came much later. How did the early churches survive without Paul staying with them? How did they survive with no leadership in place? How did they survive without a local strong leader present? Very well. They changed the course of history.

When Paul, Barnabas, and Silas preached the gospel to a town, they left it with no leadership in place because it was necessary for the church to not depend on anyone. That was the best way for them to grow and to learn how to function. You cannot learn to stand on your own two feet, unless you are required to do so. This is true both individually and corporately. If Paul would have planted the church in a city and then stayed there, they would have become dependant on Paul. They would not have become strong. They would not have thrived the way they did if Paul would have stayed for years and taught them many messages a week. Teachings and messages don’t grow us. They can only point us in the right direction.

The absence of dominant men builds a strong church. Once the foundations are established of a functioning and active church, then the church can properly relate to and continue to function with strong brothers present. This is why those who lead should slowly and naturally evolve from among the group itself. This is why Paul recognized those who were elders only after the church had time to become rooted. If strong leaders are established right away, then everyone shuts down and defers – which is what we have in the church today.

The best thing for a new group of believers is to be told the truth, pointed to Jesus and then be left to themselves to learn how to need Christ, learn how to do their share, learn how to pull their own weight in the church, and learn how to need one another. This is a crucial time when essential foundations are laid. From among this assembly of strong fellowship and intense love for one another, then and only then should organic, naturally occurring plural leadership arise and over time be recognized.

Because of our misapplication of leaders among us, we have become addicted to men leading us, instead of being addicted to Christ. We have become addicted to only certain people functioning, instead of everyone learning to function for the very survival of the group. We have become completely accustomed to a certain few taking the responsibility for the church, when we should all have equal responsibility. We will only learn to rise to the occasion, hold fast to one another, and become a strong church if we have no one else to do it for us.

T. Stanley

Abraham My Friend Number 29 (Ron Bailey)

Abraham My Friend 

Ron Bailey

29. Oh the blessednesses…

Perhaps you think we are a little pre-occupied with this simple phrase; For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. (Rom 4:3 ASV) I hope not. Justification by faith is in many ways the foundation doctrine of the New Testament. It is not the only truth but all the others need this as their foundation because this is the basis on which God deals with men and women. He has ‘credited’ men and women with His own righteousness at the point of their faith. Please note I do not say ‘on the basis of their faith’. Salvation is not by faith; it is by grace through faith. Salvation is God’s work but the channel that God has appointed to get that salvation to me is ‘faith’. Abraham is a particularly useful starting point because it was while he was in his uncircumcised state that his faith is credited as righteousness, (Rom 4:5 NASB) That is to say he has no inherent advantage of any kind; he has no covenant relationship at this time. All he has is overwhelming confidence that God is utterly reliable. But let’s see if we can enlarge the picture a little.

Pale blue light is produced in certain circumstances by passing an electric current through a heated element in neon gas, but if you pass the same current through an element in sodium gas you get yellow light. God’s truth can be expressed in different ways at different times. In Romans 4 Paul asks the question; What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? (Rom 4:1 KJV) and we have our answer in the next few verses. As Paul continues we shall change the environment and see justification by faith in different colours. Let’s ask the question what shall we say that David found? Bible students sometimes refer to a ‘locus classicus’ it means ‘an authoritative and often-quoted passage’. On the topic of justification by faith Romans 4 is a ‘locus classicus’; we cannot understand the implications of this teaching without this chapter. Paul begins with Abraham but he doesn’t end there; he now draws in David’s testimony; Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, (Rom 4:6 KJV); ‘describes’ is just ‘speaks about’.

This is significant because, unlike Abraham, David lived under the period of the Law. In Abraham we find ‘justification by faith’ in the experience of a man ‘not under law’, but in David we have the testimony of a man ‘under the law’. Psalm 32 is a ‘maschil’, a didactic (teaching) song intended not just for the momentary enjoyment of a ‘good sing’ but to be meditated upon. Paul says that this psalm is the experience of someone who has been justified by faith. Let’s join Paul in his meditation. Often the New Testament will give us a definitive explanation of the Old; this is such an instance. But this is the experience ‘passing through’ a different era and it will produce different colours. David’s testimony will be expressed in very different terms to Abraham’s although, according to Paul writing in the Spirit, this is the same experience.

As the ‘electric current’ of justification by faith ‘passes into the medium’ of the Law its effect is described in different language. Did you notice what the scripture recounted as regards ‘sins’ in its narrative of Abraham? You are right! Not a word. There is no mention of ‘sin’ in the whole history of Abraham. This is not an oversight, it is simply because …sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. (Rom 5:13 ESV) This does not mean that Abraham was without sin, but that ‘sin was not charged to his account’. Abraham was ‘ungodly’ but his faith was ‘reckoned as righteousness’. (Rom 4:5) David’s case was very different. Psalm 32 is extremely ‘sin conscious’; I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. (Psa 32:5 KJV). Abraham never used this kind of language. But Psalm 32 is not only ‘sin conscious’ it is wonderfully ‘blessing conscious’. The literal translation is brimming with joy; Oh the blessednesses of he whose transgression is carried away, whose sin is hidden. Oh the blessednesses of he to whom Jehovah does not charge iniquity… Ps 32:1,2)

It is this word does not charge, ‘does not impute/reckon’ that provided Paul with his link. It is the word used in Genesis 15:6; Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. (NASB) David knew that Jehovah had not recorded his sin against him; oh the blessednesses of a bank account statement that has not had my sin charged to it! Those familiar with accounts will know that the ‘item’ must have gone somewhere; it can’t just vanish out of the system. If it was not ‘charged’ to David’s account, whose account was it charged to?

There is a beautiful cameo in the little letter of Paul to Philemon which will give us an insight. Philemon was a prosperous house-holder in Colosse; he was also one of Paul’s converts; and so was Onesimus. Onesimus was Philemon’s runaway slave who had come to Christ through Paul while Paul was imprisoned. (I’m looking forward to hearing Onesimus’ testimony one day; it must have been fascinating.) Paul now sends Onesimus home to Philemon with the instruction that Philemon must treat him no longer as a slave but as a brother. The little letter contains this additional comment; But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; (Phm 1:18 NASB) Now this is what happens when the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of a man; he begins to behave as God would, instinctively. This, of course, is exactly what God has done. Who will bear the world’s sins? Who will carry the responsibility before the Justice of God? “I will”, says the Son, “charge it to my account”. And then the account was ‘paid in full’; that was the technical meaning of ‘τετέλεσται’, it is finished. (John 19:30)

So David knows that his iniquities have been charged to the account of another. Revealed truth is progressive and single seeds of revelation often spring up and blossom into fuller revelation. Abraham knew his faith was reckoned as righteousness; David saw that his own sins had been reckoned to another’s account. Oh, the “blessednesses” of such a revelation. Others in the time of the Law saw it and expressed in ways which are now familiar to us; But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:5-6 KJV)

David used other language that was key to the era of Law in which he lived. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven... (Psa 32:1 KJV) This word ‘forgiven’ is nâsâh; it means to lift up or carry away, but David had something quite specific in mind. What he had in mind was an annual ritual that was actually suspended during his own lifetime. From the time that the Ark was taken in battle by the Philistines it remained separated from the Tabernacle and the Altar of Sacrifice; this separation of the ark and the altar lasted until Solomon reunited them and meant that from Samuel to Solomon much of the Levitical worship was in abeyance. What he had in mind was a particular moment in the ceremony; and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a solitary land: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. (Lev 16:22 ASV) The word ‘bear’ is nâsâh. It seems that although David knew the Scapegoat had not carried away his sins, he still knew the “blessednesses” of sins carried away. Later John Baptist would put words to the revelation; The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh (lifts up/bear away) away the sin of the world. (Joh 1:29 KJV)

Imagine an Israelite of old. Their consciences could never be at rest but the symbols told of sins removed and fellowship with God restored. Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. (Lev 16:21-22 NASB) There were two goats which in the symbolism represent one. This is what the Bible students call ‘substitutionary atonement’; the goat becomes the substitute for the people. The first goat died; the evitable consequence of sin. In confession and laying of hands the High Priest conveyed the sins of the people onto the head of the second or (e)scapegoat; the sins no longer rested on Israel but on the goat. Their sins were united with the goat. From now on whatever happens to the goat happens to their sins. Their sins are borne away into the wilderness, away from God’s presence and theirs. It would seem that David never saw this ceremony, and yet he experienced the “blessednesses” of iniquities carried away. There can be no genuine legal ‘justification’ unless sins are actually dealt with. This is not play-acting or a legal fiction. The death penalty has been exacted on the first goat; the second now, symbolically, bears away Israel’s sins. God can only reckon righteousness to our account because the penalties have been paid; justification by faith and substitutionary atonement are integral to each other. These truths are great tests for orthodox Christianity.

There’s more; Blessed is he whose transgression is carried away, whose sin is hidden. (Psa 32:1 Lit) This introduces another powerful picture from the era of the Law; symbolically, sins could be covered/hidden. The ceremony of the two goats was known officially as yôm kippûr; the day of atonement/covering. It is the picture of something unacceptable being covered so that peace becomes possible. And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. (Gen 32:20 KJV); ‘appease’ is the word ‘kaphar’ meaning ‘atone or cover’. If the ‘bearing away’ points to sins dealt with, the whole purpose of the ‘atonement/covering was to effect a reconciliation that made it possible for God to fellowship with His people for one more year. It’s interesting how this idiom of ‘covering’ persists to our own day. “who will pay the debt?” “this will cover it”. As a result of the death and sending away of the goats the people of Israel were ‘covered’ and God’s presence in their midst would not destroy them.

So we can see that forensic justification is not a rabbinic mind-game but part of a comprehensive revelation that God has provided a thoroughly safe means for the sinner to appear in His presence without fear. His iniquities have been carried away by Calvary’s Sacrifice; as a result his sins are hidden and not charged to his account. Every angle has been ‘covered’. We may not understand all the implications but those who put their faith in God will have this testimony… Oh the blessednesses…

SURVIVAL OF THE REVIVAL

Robert Wurtz II (circa 2004)

Do You Really Want Revival?

Revival begins when God sovereignly begins to place an urgency within the hearts of His Saints to awake from their spiritual slumber and repent of ALL their ungodly deeds (Ezekiel 14:6). An awareness comes over His people of the times and conditions in which they live. The Saints of God are carried along with the tide of worldliness and if they are not careful find themselves falling in step with the behavior of impenitent sinners. God calls His people to repent. The word repent is used in connection with the Seven Church’s of Asia eight times. Revival begins when man rightly responds to God’s call to repent. Mclintock and Strong defines evangelical repentance saying, “It begins with conviction of sin, accompanied by sorrow for it, confession of it, hatred to it, and renunciation of it.” The author as well as the object of true repentance is God (Acts 5:31). Man in of themselves do not desire to repent. It is initiated by God when He sends His ministers to preach repentance to the people (Acts 17:30; Romans 10:14, 15, etc.).

The Holy Spirit begins to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8); and it is up to the hearers whether they will submit themselves to God or resist the Holy Spirit and stiffen their necks (Acts 7:51). The Spirit of God will not always strive with man because they are also flesh (Genesis 6:3). Man’s response to the call to repentance answers the question if they really want revival or not. Some will heed the call and forsake all their sin and the objects of their sin. Others will continue to believe that they can manage their compromise and in the end will finally believe the lie and be damned because they did not love the truth, but took pleasure in sin (2 Thessalonians 2:12).

Short Term Repentance

Some people initially repent because they are in a crisis or they see danger looming and repent only to avoid judgment or to ease the punishment associated with it. If their heart is not changed (replaced) their foolishness will only be driven far from them as it is bound in the heart of the impenitent. When relief from the trial comes they will soon forget their pain and their foolishness will return and take center stage in their life once again. True repentance used to be preached as follows:

1) It must be haughty and not timid

2) It must be total and not partial

3) It must be permanent and not temporary

If the repentance does not follow this pattern it is not true biblical repentance. When those who temporarily repented sinned they felt no shame, but yet they were ashamed to openly repent. They were haughty sinners and timid repenters. They sinned with a “fist in the air” and in all manor of shameless highhandedness, but they repented silently and hid themselves as though they were ashamed to be seen repenting and accepting the Lord. Jesus openly rejects this when He said that if you are ashamed of Me before men I will be ashamed of you before my heavenly Father (Mark 8:38). What wrath must burn in the eyes of Christ when He bore our sin in His own body on the tree laid bare before the entire world; yet a “temporal repenter” won’t even acknowledge that they sinned and caused it. How is it we could embarrass God and all the host of Heaven and then refuse to embarrass ourselves by openly repenting? Show me a person embarrassed to repent and I’ll show you them home on Sunday in 6 weeks.

Dangers of Short Term Repentance

Pharaoh remains as the great example of what happens when you resist the Holy Spirit and the judgment of God that brings repentance. As God stepped up the judgment, Pharaoh resisted the Holy Spirit and God hardened his heart all the more. Finally when the judgment reached its apex- Pharaoh agreed to let the Children of Israel go; but later he pursued them to his own destruction. This is how people are, they have no intention to repent until the situation is at its maximum judgment- and by the time they repent they think they have done God a service, but they have only hardened their own heart. And that, because as soon as they find relief they pursue their old sin as though they felt it slipping through their fingers. Short-term repentance is not repentance at all and it is evidenced in the end.

Repentance Means Forsaking Sin and the Means of the Sins

It is not really repentance until the “High places” and the “Groves” are thrown down. Jehoshaphat was one of the great Kings of Israel. It was said of him that he did always have the Lord before his eyes. In II Chronicles 17:6 we read… And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah. When our hearts are truly lifted up to do the will of God we will destroy the High places in our lives. Christians all over this nation have severe strongholds of the devil that have to be dealt with and yet they refuse to. The enemy has built a sin or sins in their life that the person keeps running back to over and over again. True repentance is when we burn the bridges back to our old sins. This may mean getting rid of things that serve as stepping-stones back to your sins. As long as you think to yourself something like this… “Well, if anything goes wrong, I can still go back to thus and such” it is not true repentance. True repentance is when you do as did Elisha and kill the oxen and burn the yoke and plow (1 Kings 19:21). True repentance is when we take hold of the plow and refuse to look back.

The Revival Will Last as Long as the Repentance Lasts

When the people fall back into their old ways revival is over. When the newness of repentance has worn off and the zeal to do God’s will is wearing thin- there is a danger to falling back into a spiritual slumber. When the people don’t get into the word and pray and witness they will be running on the same dead battery they had before. God may “jump start” the people with a sovereign act of revival, but He expects us to then stir up the gift of God that is within us from there on out.

Thermonuclear Revival

There comes a point when God is sending revival that the people keep taking in and taking in and taking in, but they are not giving out. God has empowered them for service and they are using that “power” as a means to a new “spiritual experience” rather than to do God’s will. This is where many revivals blow up. People start seeking a “deeper experience” in the Lord in some mystical way and end up ready for the funny farm. Instead of allowing the Spirit of God to empower them for service they keep seeking more and more and more “spiritual blessing” until they just flat loose it all together! The pressure and drive to minister becomes so volatile that they nearly explode like an atomic reaction from the pressure. Anyone seeking an experience with Christ apart from knowing Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings- being made comfortable until His death- is headed for flakesville. The anointing of God is for service. An experience with God that is genuine causes us to want to share the faith with others and conform to pure religion. A lot of things have been blamed on the Holy Ghost that were not God at all! People don’t bark in the Holy Ghost. They don’t contort their bodies like epileptics or any other demonic thing. When people don’t use their anointing to minister and they keep seeking more and more and more power and blessing—they open themselves up to devils.

Protecting the Ground God has Given Us

It is impossible to be full of the Holy Ghost and not desire greatly to minister to the lost (Acts 4:31). It is impossible to be full of the Holy Ghost and continually struggle with sin (John 16; Mark 16, etc.). It is impossible to be full of the Holy Ghost and not love your neighbor as yourself (I John 4:8). When God sends revival into our lives and into our church serious changes take place. People begin to feel the heart of God to want to witness. They begin to live holy lives separate from sin. Their life is characterized by Godliness. When we begin to wax lazy and begin allowing the enemy to offer us alternative entertainment for our Spiritual walk with God trouble is on the way.

Revival According to Atkins

The revivalists diet is one of strong meat and very little fluff and nonsense. Many people believe that they can turn God on and off like a switch- they can shift into Spiritual mode or compromise mode at will. However, ANYONE who has ever done anything meaningful for the Lord lived with a high level of consecration to God. They were often misunderstood and disliked. They seemed to be dull and boring. This is because impenitent sinners measure their beliefs by their fleshly standards and not by the fruit of the Spirit. What a sinner hates a believer loves- they cannot understand spiritual things.

An” on fire for God” individual has a different diet than a person who is “half backslidden” or lukewarm as a Christian. Too often we forget that Jesus rejects lukewarmness. When we are half in and half out He spits us out of His mouth. When we get into this condition we have need to be taught again Spiritual truths that we once understood. Hebrews 5:12 reads… For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. As a new born babe grows up in Christ they begin to apply the word and understanding moves from the milk to the strong meat (adult food). Milk is for New Converts and when it is needed among aged Christians it is evidence that the senses are not being controlled and all manor of sin is being let in to the heart and mind.

Drowning in 'Chocolate Milk'

Hebrews 5:14, 15 reads… For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. The use of meat has less to do about education than it does with our walk with the Lord. Many people in the time of Christ could not read or write, but they could exhort the meat of God’s word. In Acts 4:13 we read…Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. On the contrary, someone who has NOT been with Jesus may have multiple degrees and not know the first thing about the truth of God. The word of God is not intellectually understood- it is Spiritually discerned (I Corinthians 2:14). God hid His truths from the wise and the prudent (Matthew 11:25) and revealed them unto His children (Luke 10:21). Strong truth has little to do with human wisdom and much to do with being born again and simple obedience.

The more light we desire to walk in- God will give us more light to see with. If there is no hunger and thirst for righteousness- men and women will eat the strong meat of sin and iniquity for years and sip the milk of God’s word. Soon it will get so bad that the only thing they will drink is the “Chocolate Milk” of God’s blessings and promises. What a meal? “Steak and potatoes sin” washed down with the “chocolate milk” of God’s promises. This is the preferred meal of modern Christendom and it’s a mockery of God worse than the impenitent sinners on the streets. People trying to use God’s promises to assist them in serving their god of mammon. We live in a day opposite of the book of Job according to David Wilkerson. Its as though Satan approached the throne of God and demanded that God bless His people until their vats were full to sift them to see if they would serve God or mammon.