ENTIRE OBEDIENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6787, 18 August 1883, Page 11 (Supplement)

ENTIRE OBEDIENCE.

Believer, wouldst thou abide in Jesus, be very careful to keep His commandments. Keep them in the love of thine heart. Be not content to have them in the Bible for reference, but .have them transferred by careful study, by meditation, and by prayer, by a loving' acceptance, to the fleshy tables of .the heart. Be not content with the knowledge of some of the commands, those most commonly received among Christians, while others lie unknown and. neglected. Surely with thy New Covenant privileges thou wouldst not be behind the Old Testament saints who spoke so fervently—"l esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to. be right." Be assured that there is still much of thy Lord's will that thou dost not- yet understand. Make Paul's prayer for the Colossians thine for thyself and all believers, "that yon might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;",and that of wrestling Kpaphras "that you s may Btand perfect and complete in all the will of Gcd." Remember that this is one of the great elements of spiritual growth—a deeper insight into the will of God concerning you. Imagine not that entire consecration is the end—it is only the beginning—of the truly holy life. See how Paul, after having (Rom. xii. 1) -brought believers to lay themselves upon the altar, whole and holy burntofferings to their God, at once proceeds (ver.2) to-tell them' what the true altar-life is : being .evermore and more "renewed in the spirit of their mind to prove what is the good and. perfect and acceptable will of God." The progressive renewal of the Holy Spirit leads to growing like-niindedness to Christ; then comes a delicate power, of spiritual. 'perception—a holy, instinct—by which the soul recognises the meaning and the application of the Lord's commands to daily life in ja way that remains hidden to the ordinary Christian. Keep them dwelling richly within thee, hide them within thy heart, and thou shalt taste the blessedness of the man.whose "delight is in the law of the Lord, and in tlis law doth he meditate day and night." Love will, assimilate into thy .inmost being the commands as food from Heaven. They will no longer come to thee as "a ~ law standing outside and against thee, but ;,: as . the" living .. power which has transformed thy will into perfect harmony with all thy Lord doth require. ."

And keep them in the obedience of thy life. It has been thy solemn vow—has it not?—no longer to ytolr rate ...even a single sin-; ."I have sworn, arid I will perform it, tbat I will keep Thy. righteouß judgments." Labour earnestly in prayer to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. -Ask earnestly for the discovery of every secret sin—of anything that is not in perfect harmony with the will of God. Walk up to ; the light thou hast , faithfully and tenderly, yielding thyself in an unreserved surrender to all that the Lord hath spoken. When Israel took that vow. (Ex. xix. 8; xxiv. 7) it was only : .to.break it all too soon. The New Covenant gives: the grace to make the vow and to keep it too (Jer. xxxi.). Be careful of disobedience even in little things. Disobedience dulls the conscience, darkens the soul, deadens our spiritual energies—'therefore keep She commandments of Christ with implicit obedience. Bo a soldier .'that asks for nothing but the orders of the commander. 1 -

' • And if'sven for- a' momenfc the commandmoats appear grievous, just remember .whose they are. They are the commandments of, Him who loves thee. They are all , love; they come from His love ; they lead to.Hia love. Each new - surrender to . keep , the commandments, each new.' sacrifice; in: keep-" "ing them, leads to deeper union ' with the Avill, the'spirit;: and the love of the Saviour.': The .double recompense.-:of reward shall .be thine^a-fuller-: entrance into the mystery of His love—a fuller conformity to His ownblessed life.' . And thou shalt learn to prize these' words as. among thy choicest treasures i "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in-My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide m -His love.—A. Murray.' ■■