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AN EARNEST ADMONITION IN A TIME OF GREAT WORLD-CONFORMITY

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AN EARNEST ADMONITION IN A TIME OF GREAT WORLD-CONFORMITY

13 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

And be not conformed to the world: Rom. 12:2

The admonition that Paul, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, directed to the church of Rome, is not superflous for us.

In the first place, this admonition is directed to those who no longer were of the world. Did not the apostle write to the beloved of God, called to be saints?

That cannot be said of all men, nor of all professors of truth. Out of the great masses there is only a small number, in whose heart the love of God was shed abroad. The Bible speaks of one out of city and two out of a family.

And what concerns those called to be saints, the Lord Jesus declared: “Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me”. God’s elect were given to the Son by the Father from eternity. “Who gave Himself for their sins, so that He might draw them out of this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” Gal. 1:4.

And in the day of God’s good pleasure they are drawn out of the world with the cords of God’s eternal love. For them the world passes away and as fruit of the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, they will separate themselves from the world. The bridge has been drawn up for them, and they can never again go back into the world.

For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. They give heart and hand to the Lord, and say with David:

“with my whole heart have I sought Thee”

They have fled from the world, and journey on the way of righteousness. Their heart and eye are drawn upward, and their conversation is in heaven. Because they are not of this world, therefore the world hates them. A separation has come, an eternal separation.

God performs a perfect work in the heart of His people. But still it seems that the admonition of the apostle is not unnecessary for them. In the way of uncovering, they become aware that they bear the world about inwardly; and that world so often still takes up such a large place in their hearts. The language of David out of Ps. 119:25 is not strange to them: “My soul cleaveth unto the dust”.

When the life of God departs from our soul, the world will have the upper hand. It is a privilege that the Lord Jesus prayed in John 17:15, “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from evil.” If those initially delivered people of the Lord were not kept in the power of God, they would sink back into the world and would sink away under it forever. But God keeps them and in His power they continue to stand. Of themselves they are weak. For I am ready to halt and to sink away every moment.

God’s child lies open for all kinds of temptations, and besides that, they have a heart that leads them astray. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: Who can know it?

How deep the fibers of this world are rooted in us. And shall they overcome sin here? Of course not. To their sorrow they must experience that in them, that is in their flesh, dwelleth no good thing. How soon they are overcome by sin, and drawn away by the world that lies in wickedness. They are carnally sold under sin and sometimes drawn along before they know it.

Sometimes they may live as it were above the dust. It happens in the life of God’s favorites, that they may be with the Lord Jesus upon the Mount, that they may be in His immediate presence, and may enjoy His precious favor. When the love of God is in their heart and they are filled with a filial fear, then the world hes under. Then the world has no influence upon them, then they have an aversion to it. But when the life of God departs out of their heart, then the world takes in that place. And we can see how far it can go when we look at the old Judge Eh. How far did Solomon stray away, and even the pious King Jehoshaphat made a covenant with the godless Ahab. Hezekiah became conformed to the world when he showed all his treasures to the princes of Babylon.

The Lord Jesus in His sojourn upon earth continually admonished the people not to be drawn along with the world. That going along is so soul-destroying, and inwardly it robs us of experiencing the favor of God. It strengthens the world and dishonors God.

Be not conformed to the world means do not become like it, do not seek your pleasure in it. It is sad when no difference can be seen anymore, between the world and the church. Lot had gone far, and he vexed his righteous soul in Sodom, but even after the destruction of Sodom the sad results were still revealed.

Not grace, but the fear of God keeps us from sin. Calvin wrote: “The world flatters itself that the works it has done are good. But against that Paul cries out that judgement must be according to the commandment of God to decide what is good and right. The world pays homage to her own inventions and lives happily. However, Paul confirms that there is nothing pleasing to God except what He has commanded. In order to find perfection the world leaves God’s Word and turns to new discoveries; Paul, who sees perfection in the will of God, shows that if this border is overstepped, we are deceived by a false imagination.” It should be our constant prayer that we, through God’s grace, may continually die, also to the world and its lusts. There is continual need to be kept by God that we may not turn aside to the right nor to the left. They are happy souls, who with Paul, may experience and say: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Gal. 6:14. A close, immediate union with Christ will cause us to die unto the world and sin, and on the other hand, to live unto God and become conformed unto Christ. May these exercises often be the portion of our souls. By the power of Christ we should use this world, as not abusing it, and by the leading of the Spirit, be followers of Christ. He walked upon the earth with His feet, but with his heart He was in heaven.

“And be not conformed unto this world.” The Israel of ancient days was a people who had to live alone and were not to be numbered with the nations and that is also the way it is with the church of the New Testament. The church of God must be separate from the world, also concerning her visible manifestation. Holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, forever.

But alas, how is the glory of the Lord departed unto the threshold of God’s house. The world came into the church and God departed. At the present time we hear complaints that the Word has so little strength anymore. Little is heard anymore of true conversions, or that God works through His people. Yes, God still maintains the life of His children, but a life of communion is missing.

What a leanness is noticed in the souls of God’s children! How little is seen of their being fat and flourishing to show that the Lord is upright. The greatest reason why the world, and the world-conformity, is so great in the church, is because the lustre of Zion has departed so far. For the man that reproveth in the gate is missing. And because God’s people go along and are silent, the door is opened more and more for the world.

Surely the times change, but God is immutable. His word and law retain their strength and dominion which they always had. That remains the directive rule of faith and life. If they do not walk according to that work, it is because there is no light in them. We may not become conformed to the world in immoderate and excessive eating and drinking. The world says: “Let us eat and drink and be merry; for tomorrow we die”. We must not live to eat, but eat to live. We can read what the result is of eating and drinking excessively in the well known incident of Nabal. The belly and meat shall one day perish. Christ calls those blessed who hunger and thirst after righteousness. They, and they only, shall be filled.

Be not conformed to this world in “going out”. We read of Sarah that she was in the tent and her quiet, separated, pious life is set as an example for all women.

On the other hand, the story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, is recorded for us as a warning example for all girls. She went out to see the daughters of the land. What a destruction she brought upon her life, but also what a bitter result for Hamor and Shechem, and also for the whole city. What a hold the devil has gotten upon old and young in the last years with all kinds of amusements, to cause them to go in the way of the vanities of this life, and — to draw them away from the truth.

The homes become empty and the roads full, the buildings of public amusement and diversion are filled to capacity, the theaters are full, and the football fields are visited by thousands, the beer houses are filled until late at night, and in the public schools they even teach the children to dance.

O what seductive and destructive times they are in which we live. The church is coming more and more upon the background, and there is no interest in catechism anymore. It is an exception if it is different. The knowledge concerning the truth and the pure basis for salvation are becoming very small. The truth is fallen in the street.

Be not conformed to this world. There is a pestilence that walketh in darkness, and a destruction that wasteth at noonday. In many families no more than one, two, or three children are wanted. The families are artifically kept small. The burden and care of a family are no longer wanted. Those children tie us down much too much, and are too great a financial care. Oh, professors of the truth, remember the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. But on the other hand, He will not let them go unpunished who trangress His commandments. It is also one of the reasons why the Lord is departing with His Spirit, and hardening our hearts under the ministration of His Word.

The promises which God gave to those who walk in His ways are greater, yea much greater, and surpass all cares and troubles of a large family.

Be not conformed to this world by going to the god of Ekron; and to the gods of the times. Everything organizes itself. We must have our rights: and a sizable salary. Propaganda is also carried on from a so-called Christian side and men come with all kinds of texts to defend their case.

Surely the way is narrow, but where there is still some respect for the truth, and it still has some effect upon our conscience, then we go over our conscience, if we unite ourselves with those who are of the world. Our life is in God’s hands, and His are all our ways. He does not make ashamed those who still have respect for God and His Word even though it is only by virtue of their conscience and their up-bringing. The time is coming that no one will be able to buy or sell who does not have the mark of the beast. But however dreadful a time it will then be, the God of Elijah still lives, yea the same. That our soul may humbly and freely rely upon God. In order to remain standing seek strength with that God who hears even the cry of the young ravens, who opens His hand, and satisfies the desire of every living thing.

“Be not conformed to this world.” Also in going to church and hearing God’s Word. Do not paint your face, as Jezebel once did; and as we read of the vain women in Isa. 3. Read the last part of that chapter with emphasis, and you will notice how God-provoking that sinful life was.

Where there are yet some conscience convictions and we still have some impression of the truth of God, we will not manicure our finger nails nor paint our lips. If the fear of God is in the heart, then we will surely abhor all that adornment, which the Word of God condemns. Do not follow after the fashions of the world, but appear in God’s house in modest apparel, so that God’s people will not be offended, and that it will not give a hindrance in the heart of the minister to proclaim the Word of God. And also in the street let your apparel be far from world conformity. Give no occasion to arouse the wicked lust of the flesh. Let all that finery be far from us. Take a look at your picture in Rom. 3, then all the desire of showing off with the bows and ribbons of the world, will disappear. Parents, set a good example for your children. Children, listen to your mothers and despise not the admonition of your father. Do not mock with the admonition of your minister and elders. The last fashion will be a coffin. We are going to the grave, to say to the worms: “Thou art my mother and my sister.”

One day all the wicked shall be an abhorrence to all flesh. God’s children shall be brought to the King in raiment of needlework; adorned with the righteousness and holiness of Christ. Yea, one day they shall walk with Me in white robes, made white in the blood of the Lamb.

Do not reject the words of this admonition. But take it to heart, young and old, great and small. May God fill and adorn you with His fear, and by regenerating grace cause you to ask: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?”

For our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour. The world passeth away and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Amen.

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van zaterdag 1 april 1978

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AN EARNEST ADMONITION IN A TIME OF GREAT WORLD-CONFORMITY

Bekijk de hele uitgave van zaterdag 1 april 1978

The Banner of Truth | 20 Pagina's