From the Pen of Paul

What the Lord Saw in Four Men (Part 2)

(Note: This is a continuation of the article by this name in last week's bulletin. We are discussing what the Lord observed in the four men who brought the man who was sick of the palsy to Jesus (Mark 2:1-12). We have already noted that the Lord saw four men who cared and He saw four men who tried.)

The Lord saw four men who worked together. The word "together" plays an important part in determining whether we succeed or fail. Paul said, "We are labourers together with God" (I Cor. 3:9). He also reminded the Philippians to "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27b). If these four men had not worked together, the man would have remained sick! The number one requirement for men to work together is unity. Amos, in the long ago, asked this poignant question, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed" (Amos 4:4)? And the Psalmist pointed out its benefits: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (Psa. 133:1). Our Lord prayed for unity of all believers not long before His arrest which led to the cross (John 17:20-21). The church is likened to a physical body in Paul's writings and he even discusses the absurdity of any part of the body refusing to cooperate with other members of the body (I Cor. 12:12-31). Not one of these men could have brought the man to Jesus. It took their cooperative efforts.

The Lord saw four men who wanted to share Christ. Andrew's first action upon finding the Lord was to find his brother Peter—"and he brought him to Christ." Not a great deal is said about Andrew and his work among the apostles, but he could have accomplished no greater task than to bring his brother to Jesus. That brother was to be permitted to be the first to preach the gospel both to the Jews and the Gentiles (Acts 2; Acts 10). This same desire to share prompted the early Christians to spread the gospel. When a "great persecution against the church" caused many of the Christians to be scattered, we are informed by Luke, the historian, "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word" (Acts 8:1, 4). Today, we should be telling others the Good News. The early church accomplished a great task (Col. 1:23). We must do no less! Paul wrote, "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak" (II Cor. 4:13). The responsibility to "Preach the word," is not just for preachers (II Tim. 4:1-4). Paul also instructed Timothy, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (II Tim. 2:2). The great commission is for all; and we should all use our talents in sharing the good news with our family and friends and neighbors.

The Lord also saw some hindrances; He saw some stumbling blocks in the way of these four men's attempt to bring the sick man to Him. There were those who blocked the door making entrance difficult. There was the hypocrisy of the Jews who questioned his right to forgive sins (Mark 2:6-7). And we need to be aware that there will also be similar obstacles in our work for the Lord today. Some won't work—and will not move out of the "door" so someone else can do the work. Others criticize, not because they don't like the work, but because they don't like the one proposing to do the work! How sad!

The Lord still looks for people like these four men today. He looks for those who care, those who try, those who willingly and happily work together for His cause and for those who want to share Him with others. Let each of us determine to be what these four men were, that the Lord's blessing may be shared through our efforts. And let us determine that nothing or no one will be permitted to stand in our way of accomplishing the Lord's work! May God help each to have this determination.
—Paul Wilmoth

From the Preacher's Viewpoint. . .

From time to time we hear folks talk about legalism. This is often done by those given to religious liberalism and by those who are very weak in the faith. Liberalism is to step over the God-given bounds or limits which God has placed in the Bible. Sometimes done by the soured spirits in the church under the false spirit and guise of love and sweetness. Legalism is: "strict, literal, excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code." There is a good legalism and there is bad legalism.

If one is given to a strict, literal conformity to God's Bible with the Christian spirit and attitude, there can be no wrong in this. To obey God's law and hold to His restrictions and approvals is to love God. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me" (John 14:15). "If a man loveth me he will keep my words" (John 14:23). Is this wicked legalism? "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings" (John 14:24). Is this sinful legalism? If so, then the Saviour is guilty of it. Jesus said we must keep His commandments to be saved (Matt. 7:21). Christ is the author of eternal salvation only to those who obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9). Only those who obey the Lord will enter into eternal rest (Rev. 22:14). When we contend for the faith, only the weaklings and half-converted cry out "legalism." Who in their right mind would think the way to please the Lord is to disobey His commandments?

Faithful Christians are to have sweet and precious fellowship with each other (I John 1:7). To refuse to work with and promote good and scriptural causes is to break fellowship with God (I John 1:7). Some brethren seem to have a popish spirit about them. They participate in and announce what they like (not what the Bible teaches) as they wish and run down and try to destroy what they do not personally like no matter what the Bible says. Such people are anti-Christ, anti-God, anti-Bible, and anti-Christian and seem not to know it.
—Malcolm L. Hill