From the Pen of Paul

God's Remedy for a Sinsick World (2)

(Note: We are continuing to look at God's remedy for a world deep in sin as given to Solomon in II Chronicles 7:14. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.")

In our last article we noted that God was directing these statements to His people, called by His name. What did God tell His people to do?

"shall humble themselves": This is where the rubber meets the road! This is not an easy thing for the average man to do. We in America are often a proud people; we are a boastful people; we like to take credit for everything, and often we leave God out of the picture. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall," the wise man warned (Proverbs 16:18). "God resisteth the proud," declared James in James 4:6. In I Peter 5:5-6 Peter writes, "Yea all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." The classic example of both pride and humility can be seen in Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and publican in Luke 18:9-14. The Pharisee, in his pride thanked God that he was not like other men—especially the publican; he informed God about his many good traits. However, the publican, not even willing to lift his eyes unto heaven, smote his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus tells us that the publican "went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Being humble is a requirement if we expect to go to heaven. When His disciples were desiring to know "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in their midst and said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:1-4). Yet some are so arrogant and filled with pride that they feel superior to other races of men (Acts 10:34-35); still others are so filled with pride that they do not feel their need for God; such was the error of the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:14-22. They felt that they were so self-sufficient that they had "need of nothing"; however, their real situation is revealed as being "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (v. 17).

There are those so full of pride and self-righteousness that they cannot see their own faults because they are too busy looking at the blunders of others. That is demonstrated in the elder brother's attitude in the parable of the lost son in Luke 15. He could enumerate all the sins of his younger brother, but he was apparently unable to detect his own arrogance, self-righteousness, and his unforgiving and bad attitude.

Some of us overestimate our importance due to pride and/or lack of humility. We sometimes act as if we believe that the future of the church depends on only me! And then there are those who just cannot admit that they could ever make a mistake. Reminds me of the man who was rooming at a boarding house; when the announcement was made that breakfast was ready, he started down the stairs and fell headfirst down the stairway; his embarrassed statement was, "I always come down the stairs that way." He was so shook up, that when he sat down to eat, he put salt in his coffee instead of sugar; when this was pointed out to him, his reply was, "I always put salt in my coffee." Never admit a fault; never make a mistake. That's what pride will do for you!

A few years ago I preached a series of lessons on pride. In studying for that lesson I learned that the word pride is never used in a good sense or in an acceptable way in the Scriptures. I am aware of the fact that we sometimes use the word in a way that does not necessarily mean we are arrogant or boastful; but the fact remains, it is never used that way in the Scriptures; at least if it is, I have never located it. So it should be easy for us to see that God requires us to put off pride and put on humility when we obey the Gospel. If we want to be a help in finding a solution to helping the world we live in to be a better world, the first thing we must learn, according to God, is to humble ourselves.
—Paul Wilmoth

From the Preacher's Viewpoint. . .

Ben Franklin on the Work of Gospel Preachers

The preacher has a constant task that demands that he nourish the good in people. Franklin spoke of this in pointing out that it is unnecessary to advocate evil. It grows spontaneously. It is good that must be nurtured and cultivated.

"No man goes throughout the country delivering able and finely prepared discourses advocated dancing, going to theaters, playing innocent games for amusement, etc., etc. These things, like the weeds in the garden, need no advocates, but come themselves, and that, too, in opposition to all moral feeling, restraints and entreaties. They are not cultivated fruit, but the spontaneous growth that must be removed before we can have the precious fruits of the Spirit. They are the fruits of the flesh, of the carnal mind. The man who builds up churches, maintains the spiritual devotions, order, purity, discipline, elevates and ennobles, humanity, must work; war against the flesh and all the works of the flesh; cultivate, be faithful and watchful. He has something to do more than to inquire, what harm is it?"

The preacher must be aware of the particular needs of an individual congregation and must not fail to preach the things that are needed. Franklin illustrates this on the matter of giving.

"There is but one way to reach the class of men these brethren are aiming at, and that is for a good, sound and devoted preacher to go right into their midst, preach the gospel to them boldly and manfully, especially what relates to their duty in supporting the gospel of Christ, and go with them to their houses, and sit down by them and show them that the ministry must be sustained, that the poor must be cared for, or that we will never be saved. We must go directly to the men and charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but that they be rich in good works, willing to distribute and ready to communicate, that they may lay up a good foundation against the time to come, and lay hold on eternal life. We must say to them as Paul did to the Corinthians, when urging them to contribute for the poor saints in Jerusalem: "Know ye not the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich." We must show that "The Lord has ordained that they who preach the gospel shall live of the gospel," and that whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap — that those who sow to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption."
—Ben Franklin