The title of this message is “Holding Forth Christ.” To hold forth Christ is to live out Christ, to express Christ, and to work out our salvation. As we have indicated, to work out our salvation is to obey the Triune God who is operating within us both the willing and the working for His good pleasure. Here we have five important, interrelated matters: working out our salvation, obeying God, living Christ, expressing Christ, and holding forth Christ. Christians commonly speak of obeying God. However, in most cases their understanding of obedience is very superficial. The other four expressions—living Christ, expressing Christ, holding forth Christ, and working out our salvation—are unusual and even extraordinary. It would be helpful if we would make such expressions part of our conversation in fellowship. As we speak to one another, we need to encourage one another to live out Christ and express Christ. We need to remind one another to hold forth Christ and to work out our salvation. Using these expressions will help us in ministering Christ to others, especially to young ones who have just received the Lord. We should not merely talk about the gospel and salvation in a common, ordinary way. We need to use expressions based on Paul’s word to the Philippians to stir in others the desire to experience the Lord in their spirit. It is very important that we bring these extraordinary spiritual expressions into our daily conversation, prayer, fellowship, and testimonies in the church meetings. This will serve to enrich our utterance. May we all be exercised to speak of living out Christ, expressing Christ, holding forth Christ as the word of life, and working out our own salvation.
We have pointed out that murmurings issue from the emotion, whereas reasonings proceed from the mind. Furthermore, murmurings are more of a problem among the sisters, and reasonings more among the brothers. Again and again we need to be reminded of Paul’s word in 2:14. When the sisters are washing dishes in the sisters’ house, they should remember not to murmur. As the brothers are taking care of matters in the service groups and the church life, they should remember to do all things without reasonings. They should not reason, but simply serve the Lord in the church.
If we do all things without murmurings and reasonings, we shall become blameless and harmless. What a great thing it is not to have murmurings and reasonings! However, I have never met a sister who did not murmur or a brother who did not reason. The problem of murmurings and reasonings comes out in particular in married life. For example, a wife may murmur if her husband does not show appreciation of the love and care she has for him. Some brothers have learned that one way to eliminate a wife’s murmuring is to use two simple expressions: “I’m sorry” and “thank you.” Using these simple expressions can make your married life much happier. If a brother never tells his wife that he is sorry or if he never says thank you, there is apt to be murmuring. If we are successful in eliminating murmurings and reasonings, we shall be blameless and guileless.