To be pure and unadulterated is a matter of motive, of being free of ulterior intentions.
Deuteronomy 22:9 says, “Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.” God is never pleased with men doing a mixed work. In the end, ulterior motives always create problems.
To be just means to be unbiased, to handle all matters fairly. For example, it is to be judicious in one’s evaluation of others. Faults invariably exist among the good, and merit among faults. To be just, one must be impartial, paying equal attention to each aspect of a person or matter, appraising it from different angles and putting it in its proper place.
This is not a matter of spirituality or morality but of character. Both the teacher who expounds the Scriptures and the elder who administrates the church must possess a just character. One cannot do anything rightly if there is the element of injustice in his character. To illustrate, an inaccurate level can never produce an even surface.
The human heart is usually tempestuous. In dealing with important matters, a person who serves the Lord must remain calm in his mind, emotion, and will. One who is not calm cannot resist incitement and external influence. The way to practice calmness is by (1) not acting quickly and (2) not believing rumors, which inevitably cause agitation.
To be single and unscattered is related to being pure, just, and calm. A person should either not undertake a task at all or do it single-mindedly. He must be single, whether he is studying, managing a home, or doing business. Singleness brings about concentration, which in turn produces positive results. A person who is not single-minded can never perform a task well.
To be corporate is to be not individualistic, selfish, or reclusive. Singleness in character must be balanced by a corporate quality.
An open believer is able to receive spiritual help. He who is the most open receives the most help and can be the most helpful. How important is an open character among believers! However, this must not be a natural and unrestrained openness but one that, like doors and windows, can be opened or closed readily.
Matters that are absolutely personal, private, and unrelated to others need not be disclosed. The disclosure of one’s private affairs never benefits either the teller or the hearer. It is unnecessary to be open concerning matters in which one does not need help or cannot offer help, since such openness is futile.
Affection implies both nearness and love. In particular, it stresses care, sympathy, and intimacy. A person without an intimate concern for others cannot bring others to salvation through the gospel. Neither can such a person be a responsible one in the church.
Being ardent goes beyond being affectionate. Whereas affection is in the heart, ardor implies outward action which resolutely brings others to salvation and helps them to reach the goal. Ardor is fervent and powerful.
Herein is the principle of incarnation. If God had not come into the world through incarnation to accommodate Himself to men, but had merely loved men and desired that they return to Him, He could not have accomplished redemption. One must reach out to others in order to lead them to salvation. Only those who fit in with people are able to preach the gospel to them in order to save them. Unless one can accommodate himself to those who are younger and lowlier, he will find it difficult to lead them.