Discipleship

by J. H. PYPER | Category: Discipleship | Oct 1951

In the last issue we dealt with putting off the old man and putting on the new man, the first of three considerations regarding the building up of a disciple.

At all costs the vices of the old nature, like poisonous weeds, must be eradicated and the virtues of the new man tenderly cultivated and encouraged to flourish. That brings us to fruit bearing, especially the fruit of the Spirit. (2) FRUIT OF THB SPIRIT. A comparative analysis of Galatians 5, 22, 28 with the other two portions, Ephesians 4.22 to 5.2 and Colossians 3.1-17 will reveal the following :

Love Galatians 5. 22;Ephesians 5.1, 2;Colossians 3.14.

Joy Galatians 5.22;Colossians 3.15.

Peace Galatians 5.22;Colossians 3.15.

Longsuffering Galatians 5.22;Colossians 3.12.

Kindness Galatians 5.22;Ephesians 4.32;Colossians 3.12.

Goodness Galatians 5.22.

FaithfulnessGalatians 5.22.

MeeknessGalatians 5.23;Colossians 3.12.

Temperance

(or self control)Galatians 5.28;Ephesians 4. 26;Colossians 3.5; 3.8.

NOTES I.

There is no doubt that the above order given in Galatians 5.22, 28, is intentional. It may be that "love" is where God commences: "self-control" is where we commence. We must, however, practise "self-control" before we can exhibit "love." However, in our present discussion we shall take the order as given and commence at "love," never forgetting at the same time that in practical experience we start at the bottom, at "self-control."

NOTES II.

(a)Love.

This should be manifested in all of the following three ways

1.Grateful love towards our Lord Jesus;

2.Practical love towards our brethren and sisters; and

3.Unswerving love for the honour of all things pertaining to God's house. "We love, because He first loved us" (1 John 4. 19); "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 1?. 85); "LORD, I love the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth" (Psalm 26. 8) are scriptures that come to mind. Let us follow after love (1 Corinthians 14.1), the greatest thing of all (1 Corinthians 13.18), the bond of perfectness (Colossians 3.14). Love covereth a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4.8).

(b)Joy. The joy of our salvation and the joy in His service are before us as we write. Are we enjoying both to the full? The Psalmist wrote, "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation " (Psalm 51. 12); and the apostle John said, "Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth" (3 John 4).

It is obvious that these two joys can, alas, come and go; can ebb and flow. (It should be needless to say that this remark does not apply to the possession of salvation itself, but only to the joy of it). It is our observation that some children of God appear to be very expressive of their joy in salvation from sin's doom, but as they do some things that we know from the Scriptures to be they cannot, at the same time, be enjoying to the full the joy of God's salvation in its sanctifying power. Let us then, as true disciples, endeavour to live each day in the sunshine of the joy of God's salvation and the joy of well-pleasing service to Him.

(c)Peace. Peace is the complement of love and joy. "Great peace have they which love Thy law" (Psalm 119. 165), and "to the counsellors of peace is joy" (Proverbs 12.20), are scriptures in point. There will be no peace at all in the believer's mind unless the heart is filled with love and joy; and conversely where love and joy are, there cannot be anything else but peace, and that whether in the heart, or the home, or the assembly. The opposites of love and joy, i.e., hatred and strife, bring nothing but the opposite of peace.

(d)Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness. These three flow out of love and so we see again how important love is. Again, let us follow after love.

"Love suffereth long" (longsuffering) (1 Corinthians 13.4), "and is kind" (kindness) (1 Corinthians 13.4), "taketh not account of evil" (goodness) (1 Corinthians 13.5).

Again we say, love, love to the Lord and love to all men, cultivated, nourished and carefully tended in the heart day by day, is that alone which will produce the characteristics of longsuffering, kindness and goodness. Where there is no love, or scanty love, the products will be the opposite, i.e. anger, malice and evil, and in direct proportion to the lack of the possible love.

(e)Faithfulness, Meekness, Temperance (or Self-control).

Faithfulness and Meekness are dependent, very much so, upon our self-control of our ways and thoughts. If it is true, as it is, that in our unsaved days, all we like sheep had gone astray and had turned every one to his own way (Isaiah 53.6), what, now that we are saved, will keep us faithfully in the right way, but rigorous self-control and our Father's restoring grace? It is true that "from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed ... all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7.21-23).

Our own ways and pride, are they not fruit of our old nature? To keep faithfully to the right way, whether we like it or not; to submit meekly, instead of resorting to the crushing retort, are not these things entirely foreign to our old nature? So we see that if we are to be faithful at all times, and to be meek under every circumstance, we must practise self-control.

The horse, perforce, needs the bit and bridle; the ship also the rudder, but the true disciple is under such self-control that he instantly responds to his Master's will.

Now that we have perused together those section dealing with "the putting away the old man and the putting on the new," and "the fruit of the Spirit," we may be tempted to feel that the standard of true discipleship is too high for us.

It is high, and it is too high for us to attempt in our own strength. Apart from the Lord's help we can do nothing (John 15.5). But if we earnestly seek His help (Acts 26.22), and if these things are ours and abound, they make us to be not idle no unfruitful (2 Peter 1.8).

Even as the very best of disciples; when the pathway leads at last to Home, and we shall have done all the things that are commanded us, shall we not confess, "We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do"? (Luke 17.10)

(3)PRACTICAL POINTS.

On comparing the corresponding Ephesians and Colossians scriptures we get the following

1.No giving place to the DevilEphesians 4.27.

2.No grieving of the HolySpiritEphesians 4.30.

3.Bible knowledge Colossians 3.10.

4.Heavenly mindednessColossians 3.1.

5.Heavenly walk Colossians 3. 17; Ephesians 5.1.

NOTES (I).

(a) "Neither give place to the Devil" and (b) "Grieve not the Holy Spirit." In discipleship it is particularly true that we cannot serve two Masters (Matthew 6.24). So long as we are here in mortal bodies, there will be continual conflict between ourselves and our old master, the Devil. Never for one minute should we give place to him as he seeks to lure and tempt us from the disciple pathway by crafty suggestions through our old man. By how much we successfully resist him will be the measure of our yielding rather to our new indwelling Teacher, the blessed Holy Spirit. By how much we give place to the Devil will be the measure of our grieving of the Holy Spirit, for the wrong things he may tempt us to do will be a grief to the Holy Spirit. Let us then manfully resist the Devil in all his temptations. On the one hand let us take courage, for if resisted he will flee from us (James 4.7). On the other hand let us be sober, be watchful, for he walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5.8).

NOTES (II).

(a) Bible knowledge, (b) Heavenly mindedness, and (c) Heavenly Walk. These three things are correlated. The more the disciple learns the Scriptures and practises what he knows, the more will his walk and aspirations conform to his heavenly calling.

And again the more the disciple thinks on heavenly things, and is less distracted by earthly things, the more he walks in company with those that are heavenly-minded and less with those that are earthly-tied, the more will he want to turn to the Scriptures, his joy and his guide.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom" is a word of exhortation to all disciples, young and old. "Daily" devotional reading means daily feeding; much devotional reading means much teaching; constant devotional reading means constant communion.

Advice we have found to be good is

1.Cultivate constant reading. If our mind and heart are filled with the word of God there will not be much room for Satan to find inroads.

2.Cultivate careful reading. The prayerful meditation of ten verses often yields more than the hurried reading of ten chapters.

3.Cultivate comparative reading, i.e., compare scripture with scripture; compare the Old Testament with the New.

4. Cultivate analytical reading, i.e., be able to "build up" your subject, or "break down" your verses.

J. H. PYPER | Oct 1951
Discipleship