MEN will spend and be spent in worldly tasks, and will hazard their lives, even in devotion to friends, human ideals and earthly duty. Yet, how few, comparatively, to-day know anything of the divine, spiritual and gospel claims of the Lord Jesus Christ to have a seed to serve Him in the world and to be the object of gracious and loving devotion, on the part of men. The natural man, in which the carnal mind reigns, although situated in the very midst of gospel and spiritual privileges is entirely ignorant of and indifferent to duty and devotion with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ personally. Some may in a limited way, and in certain respects appear to be interested in Christ’s cause, within the bounds of the visible Church; but, known or unknown to them, there are sinful, selfish and ulterior motives operating secretly in their hearts—the heart of man being deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Diotrephes, who loved to have the pre-eminence, and Demas, who ultimately revealed that he loved this present world, although in the Apostolic Church, never knew what willing, humble, spiritual devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, meant. Self, sin and a sensual world claimed their devotion. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Cor. ii. 14). And so it did not surprise us to hear recently of a man who objected to a minister debarring from the Lord’s table, any who would come to this table, merely for a place in the Church. Thus the religion of the carnal and unconverted sinner has other ends than obedience to Christ and devotion to Him.
To speak of the Christian’s duty and devotion to the Redeemer and adorable Head of His body the Church is another matter. For those who have had in the amazing grace of God, implanted in their hearts, faith in and love to Christ, by the powerful and saving operations of the Holy Ghost, are a people whose duty to Christ is made clear in the Scriptures. And we refer not here to what savours of legalism, but to the works of faith and labours of love, the out-goings and
fruits of grace in the souls of genuine, exercised believers, which are regulated by divine directions and counsels, in relation to Christ’s own Person and Saviourship, His Word and the doctrines thereof, the Gospel, His commandments, His people, His Kingdom, and so on. The believer is to have regard to the Saviour in the first instance, and then inevitably to all that emanates from, and is linked to Him. And thus there are spiritual, evangelical, moral and practical obligations devolving upon the living disciple of Christ. Assuredly, without the Lord’s own grace and help they can do nothing and shall fail in devotion to Him; but their sufficiency is of Him. “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Cor. xii. 9), were words from the Lord which brought not only strength but gladness to the heart of Paul. And then the Apostle himself writes to Timothy thus, “Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. ii. 6).
Varied are the particular duties to which the believer is called. Of these we may mention the following:—They are to confess the Lord Jesus Christ, before men, by witnessing unashamedly in Scriptural ways to the hope that is in them, that He saved them by His grace and blood from their sins, the divine wrath, and everlasting destruction, and brought them to taste of heavenly mercy, pardon and peace with God. “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God” (Luke xii. 8). That they are not only to hear, but to keep His Word. They are to hide it in their hearts, to meditate upon it, pray over it, walk in the light of it in the midst of a godless world, and worship the Father of mercies as directed by it. And they are to value it above gold most fine and defend it against all the attacks upon it by atheists, modernists and traitors in the professing Christian Church. “Yea, rather, Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it” (Luke ii. 28). Then further, the believer as his duty and in devotion to the Lord Jesus, is to endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. The devil and wicked men brought to bear upon the Church of Christ many a hard and sore trial and experience down through the ages, and the warnings of Jesus still stand, “In the world ye shall have tribulation”: “Marvel not if the world hate you.” They are not to be offended with Christ and His testimony for Truth on this account. They are to seek support and patience out of His fullness. The hardness is to be suffered but for a little while here—and then they are to obtain the complete and final victory at last through their Captain of salvation.
Then the Lord Jesus Christ has uttered certain injunctions and warnings regarding the matter of following and serving Him with gracious devotion. He declared, that any man who loveth those to whom he is bound with natural and earthly ties more than Christ, is not worthy of Him. The Lord and Saviour must have the pre-eminence
in the affections of the believer if there is to be unqualified devotion to His Person and the things concerning His Kingdom. “He that loveth father or mother more than me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Matt. x. 37, 38). Another solemn observation by the Lord concerns those who appear to have had a real attachment to Christ, His Cause and Kingdom; and who outwardly, at any rate, manifested some devotion to the Lord’s service; and then very soon show signs of hankering back after the world and a worldly mode of living. Worldliness, unspirituality, pride, aloofness from the fellowship of the disciples of the Lord began to appear, and also other such evils as effect a looking back from duty and devotion to Christ. Turning back is the next phase in this case. And so Jesus says, “… No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven” (Luke ix. 57-62). We read of many who seemed to be disciples of the Lord and who went back and walked no more with Him. Then what did Christ say to His believing and living followers, having in view the enmity and malice of their enemies toward them? “Be not afraid.” He would have them to conquer this fear of man, in His divine strength and by a right view of the limitations of the wicked. “But I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do” (Luke xii. 4).
And finally, the heavenly Master gives a precious and full promise of reward to His believing and devoted followers, which more than compensates for self-denial, losses and trials in His service. To Peter, He said, “Verily, I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the Kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come, life everlasting” (Luke xviii. 28-30).