Gathering An Army Of The Downtrodden
Gathering An Army Of The Downtrodden Actually our outward, visible appearance cheats death and the devil. For death and the devil don't see the wealth and beauty that are inside us. They rave about the carcass, which they despise as being weak. But they are blind to the wealth within. They don't know what a "treasure in an earthen vessel" we carry. (2 Cor. 4:7) This treasure is protected by the power of God the Father, and the blood of the Son of God, and the dew of the Holy Spirit. But you who have tasted of the truth and have been counted worthy of the great redemption must not be deceived. Unlike the armies of other men, you should collect for yourself an unarmed, peaceful, bloodless, restrained army: One of pious old men, orphans dear to God, widows armed with meekness, and men adorned with love. Use your money to gather these guards of your body and soul. For their sake, a sinking ship is buoyed, steered by the prayers of the saints alone. Disease at its height is put to flight by the laying on of hands. The attack of robbers is spoiled by righteous prayers. And the might of demons is crushed, vanquished by strenuous commands.
All of these warriors and guards are trusty. None of them are idle. Not one of them is useless. For one of them can obtain pardon from God for you. Another can comfort you when you're sick. One can weep and groan in sympathy for you to the Lord of all. Another can teach you some of the things that 4]
Page 42 The One Who Knows God are useful for salvation. One can admonish you with confidence. Another can counsel you with kindness. And all of them can love you truly, without cunning, without fear, without hypocrisy, without flattery, without pretense. What sweet service comes from loving [souls]! What blessed thoughts come from confident [hearts]! What sincere faith belongs to those who fear God alone! What truthful words come from those who cannot lie! What beautiful deeds come from those who have been commissioned to serve, please, and plead with God.
All the faithful, then, are good and godlike. They are worthy of the name that circles their heads like a crown. But then there are also some people who are the elect of the elect.
They are more distinguished because they draw themselves out of the surge of the world to safety, like a ship to its mooring. They don't wish to seem holy. In fact, they're embarrassed if anyone calls them such. (So in a sense, they are less distinguished.) They hide in the depths of their minds the inexpressible mysteries [of God]. They disdain to display their nobleness just to be seen by the world. They are the people the Word calls "the light of the world, and the salt of the earth." (Matt.5:13, 14) These are the seed, the image, and the likeness of God.
These are his true children and heirs. They were sent here on a journey by the arrangement and government of the Father.
Both the visible and invisible things of the world were created by the Father. Some of these were sent for their service. Others, for their discipline. Still others, for their instruction. All things are held together as long as this seed remains here. But when the seed is gathered, these things will be very quickly dissolved.
God: The Loving Parent What further need does God have for the mysteries of love?
Some day you will look into the bosom of the Father—the One alone whom the Only-Begotten Divine Son has declared. (John
1:18) God himself is love. Out of his love for us, he became feminine. In his indescribable essence, he is Father; but in his
Gathering An Army Of The Downtrodden Page 43 ee OE compassion for us, he became Mother. By loving, the Father became feminine. The great proof of this fact is the One he begot out of himself. And the fruit brought forth by love is love.
Because of love, he [Jesus] came down to earth. Because of love, he clothed himself with man. For love, he voluntarily subjected himself to the experiences of men. He did this so that by bringing himself down to the weakness of those he loved, he could bring us up to the measure of his own strength. As he was about to be offered up as a ransom, he left us anew covenant-testament: "I give you my love." How great is that love? He gave his life for each of us—one life for all.
So now he demands that we give our lives for one another.
Therefore, since we have made this mutual agreement with the Savior that we owe our lives to our brothers, why should we hoard our worldly goods any longer? After all, they are transitory, worthless, and foreign to us. Shall we lock up from each other what will be the Now he demands | Property of the fire after a little i while. John makes a divine and that we 8lve our weighty statement when he lives for one says, "He who does not love his brother is a murderer." (1 John another.
3:15)He is the offspring of Cain, a nursling of the devil. He does not have God's compassion. He has no hope of better things.
He is sterile. Barren. He is not a branch of the ever-living heavenly vine. He is cut off, waiting for the perpetual fire.
Instead, learn the more excellent way. The one Paul points to for salvation, saying, "Love is not self-seeking." (1 Cor.
13:5) Rather, it is poured out on your brother. Love trembles over your brother and is soberly insane about him. "Love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Pet. 4:8) "Perfect love drives out fear." (1 John 4:18) Love "does not boast; it is not proud.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Prophecies are done away with, tongues cease, gifts of healing fail on the earth. But these three
Page 44 The One Who Knows God abide: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
(1: Gor, 13:4-8)13) That statement is true. For faith departs when we are convinced by vision, by seeing God. And hope vanishes when the things we hope for come. But love comes to completion, and grows even more, when that which is perfect has been given to us. If one brings love into his soul—although he has been born in sins, and has done many forbidden things—he is able to retrieve his mistakes by increasing love and by adopting a pure repentance.
True And False Repentance If someone is able to escape the excesses of riches, and is able to overcome the difficulties that riches cause in the way of life, he can enjoy eternal good things. But suppose that even though he is sealed* and redeemed, for some reason— because he doesn't know any better or because of circumstances he cannot control—he falls into sins and is quite carried away. What happens? This person is entirely rejected by God.
Everyone who has turned to God with his whole heart will find that the doors are open. The Father gladly receives his truly repentant son. And true repentance is to be no longer bound in the same sins for which the Savior has fenuened death against himself. Rather, it is to eradicate those sins completely from our souls. When those sins are pulled up by their roots, then God makes his home in you again.
It is said that the Father and the angels have great joy and celebration when one sinner turns and repents. (Luke 15:10)
God tells us, "I prefer mercy, and not sacrifice." (Hos. 6:6; Matt. 9:13) And "I desire not the death, but the repentance of the sinner." (Ezek. 18:23) And he says, "Though your sins are like scarlet wool, I will make them as white as snow; though they are blacker than darkness, I will wash them and make
* "Sealing" refers to baptism.
Page 46 The One Who Knows God them like white wool." (Isa. 1:18) Only God has the power to forgive our sins and pardon our transgressions. But he also commands us to daily forgive our brothers when they repent.
(Matt. 6:14) "And if we, being evil, know how to give good gifts" (Luke 11:13), then how much more it is the nature of the long-suffering Father of mercy and consolation to wait for those who have converted. But to convert means that we really do cease from our sins, and we no longer look behind.
So, God is the one who forgives our past sins. But we forgive ourselves of future sins. We do this by repenting, by condemning the past deeds, and begging the Father to totally forget them. The Father is the only one who is able to undo what has been done and to blot out our former sins by the dew of the Spirit. He says, "I True repentance will judge you by the state in , which I find you." So, there may is to be no be a person who has done inlonger bound in credibly good deeds during his ; life. But if he runs headlong into the same sins. wickedness at the end of his life, then all his previous good deeds will fail to profit him. At the conclusion of the drama, he has given up his role.
On the other hand, it is possible for the man who once led a wicked and immoral life to eventually repent. During the remainder of his life after his repentance, he may overcome the evil conduct of a long time. But to do so requires great care, because he is like one who has suffered from a prolonged disease and needs to follow a certain regimen. He needs special attention. Thief, do you want to be forgiven?
Steal no more. Adulterer, burn no more [with lust]. Fornicator, live purely in the future. You who have robbed, give back—and give back more than you took. False witness, practice truth. Perjurer, swear no more. All of you, get rid of the rest of your fleshly passions—wrath, lust, grief, fear. In doing so, at the end of your life, you may be found to have already been reconciled to the adversary during your stay in this world.
True And False Repentance Page 47 a ee _ It is probably impossible to eradicate all your inbred passions at once. But by God's power, by human intercession, by the help of the brothers, by sincere repentance, and by constant care, they will be corrected.
Find Yourself A Mentor Therefore, it is necessary for you who are pompous, powerful, and rich to find a man of God to set over yourself as a trainer and mentor. Have godly respect for someone— even if it's only for one man. Answer to someone—even if it's only to one man. Learn to listen to someone else, though there may be only one other man who speaks candidly to you. His words may be harsh, but they will bring healing.
For your eyes should not continue unrestrained. It is good for them to sometimes weep and hurt. This will bring you greater health in the long run. Likewise, nothing is more detrimental to the soul than uninterrupted pleasure.
Learn to fear this godly man [i.e. your mentor] when he is angry. Be pained at his groaning. Respect him as you learn to put a stop to what causes his anger. Anticipate him when he is pleading against your punishment. Let him spend many sleepless nights out of concern for you, interceding with God for you, influencing the Father with the magic of his familiar prayers. For the Father does not hold out against his children when they beg for his pity. And your mentor will pray for you in a pure manner, held in high honor as an angel of God.
He'll be grieved not by you, but for you. This is sincere repentance. "God is not mocked." (Gal. 6:7) Nor does he give heed to vain words. Only he can search the depths of our hearts. He hears those who are in the fire. He listens to those who pray from in the whale's belly. He is near to everyone who believes, but he's far from the ungodly if they do not repent.
A True Life Example Of Repentance I want you to be even more confident that this kind of repentance brings you the certain hope of salvation. So I will
Page 48 The One Who Knows God tell you a story that has been handed down and committed to memory about the Apostle John.
When the tyrant [Domitian, who had exiled John] finally died, John left the island of Patmos and returned to Ephesus.
He was then asked to travel throughout the surrounding provinces. In one place he would appoint overseers. In another, he would set whole churches in order. In still another, he would ordain those who were indicated by the Spirit.
Along the way, he stopped at one of the cities not far from Ephesus. Some have said this city was Smyrna. After he had settled some other matters, he noticed a strong, handsome young man who was enthusiastic and devoted. Looking at the newlyappointed overseer, he said, "I commit this youth to you in all earnestness, in the presence of the church, and with Christ as witness." When the overseer accepted the charge and promised to fulfill his obligation, John gave him instructions and testimony. Then John returned to Ephesus.
The elder took the youth who had been committed to him to his own home. He reared him, cherished him, and finally baptized him. After this, he relaxed his stricter care and guardianship. He thought that the seal of the Lord he had set on the youth [i.e. baptism] gave him complete protection. But when the youth obtained this premature freedom, some other young men his age, who were idle, immoral, and adept at evil, corrupted him. First, they enticed him by providing expensive e entertainment. Later, when they went out at night and robbed people on the highways, they took him along.
Then they dared to pull off bigger things. By degrees, he came to accept their life. He had a strong nature, so once he had left the right path, he was like a hard-mouthed and powerful horse. He had taken the bit between his teeth, and he rushed with all the more force down into the depths.
In time, he entirely despaired of salvation in God. He no longer desired to do small acts of evil—but great ones. Since he felt he was lost beyond all hope, he made up his mind to accept the same fate as the others. Taking them and forming a band of robbers, he quickly became the captain of the bandits—the fiercest, bloodiest, and cruelest of them all.
True And False Repentance Page 49 SS SR AEE a OIE Time passed. Some necessity emerged in the church, so they sent for John to come to them again. When he had settled this other matter, John said, "Overseer, return the deposit which I and the Savior committed to you in the presence of the church over which you preside." At first, the overseer was puzzled, thinking John was wrongly accusing him of mishandling money. He couldn't believe the allegation, but neither could he disbelieve John. Finally John clarified the matter, saying, "I demand the young man, and the soul of our brother entrusted to you."
The elderly overseer, groaning deeply, burst into tears and said, "He is dead."
"How did he die?"
"He is dead," the overseer said, "to God. He turned wicked and abandoned the faith. And at last he became a robber.
Now he and his band have taken possession of the mountain across from the church."
John tore his clothes and pounded his head with a great lament. "I left a fine guard in charge of this brother's soul!" he finally cried.
Recovering, he said, "Someone please bring me a horse. | need a guide to show me the way." He rode away, just as he was, Straight from the church. As he approached the robbers' hideout, he was grabbed by their sentry. Neither fleeing nor begging, he cried out, "I came here so that you could waylay me. Lead me to your captain." Meanwhile, the captain, who was fully armed, was waiting. But as soon as he recognized
John, he was overcome with shame. He quickly turned and fled. John followed him with all his strength, forgetting his age, and cried out, "Why, my son, do you flee from me, your old and unarmed father? Son, pity me. Do not fear. You still have hope of life. I will give an account to Christ for you. If need be, I will willingly endure your death, as the Lord endured death for us. For you | will surrender my life. Stop!
Believe! Christ has sent me."
The youth finally stopped, and he stood looking down. He finally threw down his weapons. Then he trembled and began to weep bitterly. When the old man approached, he
Page 50 The One Who Knows God embraced him. Though the young man could hardly speak because he was crying so much, he expressed his regret for his actions. That day, he was baptized a second time with tears. But he still concealed his right hand.* John assured him on oath that he would find forgiveness from the Savior.
Begging him and falling on his knees, John kissed his right hand, purified by repentance. Then he led him back to the church.
There John prayed profusely, striving beside the young man in continual fasting. Through hours of instruction, he subdued the young man's mind. In fact, John did not depart until he restored the young man to the church. He presented the young man as a great exIf you turn awa ample of true repentance and fy y a token of new birth. He was a from the Savior, trophy of the resurrection in you can blame which we hope. For at the end : of the world, the angels, neither God, nor radiant with joy, singing riches, nor the hymns and opening the heavens, will receive those fallen flesh. who truly repent into the celestial abodes. On that day, in front of everyone, the Savior himself will go to greet them and welcome them. Holding forth the eternal light that is without shadow, he will conduct them to the Father's bosom, to eternal life, to the kingdom of heaven.
So believe the prophecies, the gospels, and the apostolic words. By living in accordance with them, lending your ears, and practicing these deeds, when you die, you will see the fulfillment of these truths. For anyone who welcomes the angel of repentance in this world will not need to repent when he dies. He will not be ashamed when he sees the Savior approaching in his glory and with his army. He will not fear the fire.
| On the other hand, if you choose to continue to sin perpetually in pleasures—if you prefer to indulge yourself here
*His right hand was his sword hand.
True And False Repentance Page 51 rather than to seek eternal life—if you turn away from the Savior who offers forgiveness—blame neither God, nor riches, nor the fallen flesh. Blame your own soul, which voluntarily perishes. For whoever desires salvation and asks for it vehemently and boldly, the good Father in heaven will grant true purification and the changeless life. To him, by his
Son Jesus Christ, the Lord of the living and the dead, and by the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, power, and eternal majesty, both now and forever, from generation to generation, and from eternity to eternity. Amen.
G.M. ELLIOTT LIBRARY
Cincinnati Bible Coliege & Seminary
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