You may think it is awkward English to title this message “The Life Way to Take the Word,” but I want to suggest some ways for you to get more life from your reading of the Word. I do not say “The Living Way...” because sometimes “living” connotes excitement or loudness rather than life. Before we consider how the Word can bring us into life, we shall answer some questions based on the previous message.
I have been considering the context of the verse, “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thes. 5:22). From the verse before and the verse after, it seems that if our behavior is proper, God will sanctify us wholly and preserve us blameless. Is this the case, or is it that the sanctifying life within results in a high standard of behavior?
Sanctification is surely a matter of life, but both sanctification and life will keep us away from all negative things. The young people especially need to be familiar with 1 Thessalonians 5:22. For your own safeguard you need to avoid all appearance of evil. Do not think you are too spiritual to be affected. Run away from anything that bears the appearance of evil. Just a quick glance can stain your thoughts. For the sake of others and for your own sake, you must be careful; behind every appearance of evil, evil is lurking. Even after fifty years of seeking to walk in the Spirit, I still have no confidence in my flesh; it could still do any kind of evil.
In north China around 1928 there was a strong Pentecostal movement. Some of those who experienced the filling of the Spirit felt they no longer had any flesh and could not sin; men and women began to live together. The resulting fornication brought such shame to the Lord’s name that for a long time afterwards the gospel had no entry among the people there. Do you see how the appearance of evil leads to evil?
Do not think you are being religious to practice a holy life. Our mentality can so easily be under the subtle usurping of the enemy. For the years I have been in this country I have stressed that Christ is in opposition to religion. Now the enemy has come in and twisted my words. Some are saying it is religious to read the Bible and pray at a regular time every day. Some say that coming into a meeting quietly is religious. Some have stopped meeting regularly on Sundays so as not to be religious.
What is religion? It is any kind of worship or service to God without Christ. If in a meeting you are silent with Christ, you are not religious. If in a meeting you are shouting without Christ, you are religious. Neither silence nor shouting is right, and neither is wrong. The question is whether Christ is in what you are doing. Not to have regular church meetings is a deception of the enemy.
Do not have confidence in people; truth is our center. Even if the Apostle Paul were to come and contradict his writings in the New Testament, we would have to reject him (see Gal. 1:8-9). If I were to propose that you worship idols, you would have to refuse and cast me out. We must stand for the truth and not regard any man’s person.
Is it good to kneel down to pray?
Ephesians 3:14 says, “I bow my knees unto the Father,” indicating that there was something heavy on Paul’s heart and he was not praying in a light way. If you are heavily burdened and want to kneel down, and your environment allows it, go ahead. If not, there is no need to make kneeling a formal legality.
If we have to choose between corporate morning watch and a private time with the Lord, how should we decide?
Corporate morning watch is helpful, but a private time is more crucial to your personal contact with the Lord. How you choose depends upon your need. The elders can also make a decision in this regard, but you are not obliged to follow it.
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