Two Minutes With The Bible

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Two Minutes With The Bible - THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL


Jun 24

THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL

By Cornelius R. Stam

Twice in Galatians 2 Paul speaks of "the truth of the gospel." In both cases the Apostle had been forced to speak out to defend the purity of "the gospel of the grace of God."

In Verses 4,5 he refers to his contest with those at Jerusalem who would have brought the Gentile believers under the law of Moses. Among them were "false brethren," he says, "unawares brought in... to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."

In the second case he refers to a controversy with Peter who, having enjoyed blessed fellowship with Gentile Christians, had been intimidated by some of his Jewish brethren into separating himself from the Gentiles. Concerning this, Paul writes: "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed" (Ver. 11). Why was Peter to be blamed? Verse 14 answers: Because he "walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel," i.e., "the gospel of the grace of God," in which believing Jews and Gentiles are "one body in Christ."

How we should all thank God for Paul’s vigorous defense of the gospel of grace, under which all who trust in Christ as Savior are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the one true Bible Church (I Cor. 12:13).

Doubtless Paul’s stand for "the gospel of the grace of God" stemmed from the fact that he himself had experienced the truth of this blessed message. As the chief of sinners he had been gloriously saved. All his power and prestige as a Pharisee, all his intellectual achievement, all his rigid Law observance meant nothing now, as in the presence of the glorified Lord he saw himself a sinner, the chief of sinners, and was saved by the matchless grace of God.

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - A LITTLE LEAVEN AND LOST BLESSING


Jun 25

A LITTLE LEAVEN AND LOST BLESSING

By Cornelius R. Stam

It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine from Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, just what the Galatian believers thought the rite of circumcision would accomplish for them spiritually. We doubt that they knew themselves, but the Judaizers had come in among them and had captured their attention so that these, who had been so gloriously saved by grace, now "desired to be under the law" (Gal. 4:21). They did not deny the efficacy of the finished work of Christ, but they were interested -- just interested -- in submitting to a religious ceremony which would in itself be a denial of the all-sufficiency of His redemptive work (3:1; 5:2-4). Result:

the blessing was already vanishing (5:14) and the Apostle had to warn them: "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (5:9). You can’t admit a little leaven and expect it to stop there.

With the Corinthians it was rather a case of countenancing moral wrong. One of their members had been living in grievous sin. But then, their number was large, and he was just one, and the congregation as a whole abounded in spiritual gifts. Feeling quite satisfied with themselves, therefore, they simply overlooked this disgrace to the name of Christ. But listen to Paul’s -- God’s -- view of the matter:

"And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you" (I Cor. 5:2). "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a lithe leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

"Purge out therefore the old leaven..." (Vers. 6,7).

In these days when both spiritual error and moral wrong are made so palatable, when apostate unbelief and worldliness are presented so appetizingly, we do well to take heed to the Spirit’s warning to quickly purge out the "little leaven" that threatens to permeate the whole loaf.

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - A GOOD JOB


Jun 26

A GOOD JOB

By Cornelius R. Stam

As Loren stood with his father, gazing at a beautiful Minnesota lake, the little four-year-old asked: "Daddy, who made this lake?" "God made it," replied his dad, "and God made those trees and all this beautiful scenery."

There was a moment’s silence. Then, placing his hands on his hips, little Loren said: "He sure did a good job!"

Yes, He did, yet this scenery was nothing compared with the glory this earth will know when Christ returns to reign. If earth’s rivers and lakes, its mountains and valleys, its landscapes and seascapes can now be so breath-taking, so awe-inspiring, what will be its beauty when prophecy is fulfilled and the curse removed!

"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them [God’s people, Israel] and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

"It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing:

the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God."

"...for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

"And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water..."

"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isa. 35:1,2,6, 7,10).

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - CHOOSING COMMISSIONS


Jun 27

CHOOSING COMMISSIONS

By Cornelius R. Stam

How foolish and wrong it is for any of us to use "snatch-grab" methods, as Pastor J. C. O’Hair called them, in ascertaining our Lord’s will for us! What right have we to choose some particular segment or segments of our Lord’s instructions to the eleven in the forty days between His resurrection and ascension, and to apply only these to ourselves or to the Church today?

Nothing could be clearer than the fact that our Lord "showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). In those forty days then, one Person, our Lord, spoke to eleven men, and gave instructions as to the program they were to carry out after His ascension. In every single case it is crystal clear that these commands were not directed to others, who were to live at some future date, but to the apostles, who were to commence to carry them out after His departure, when the Holy Spirit had endued them with power.

This is emphasized by the phraseology found in all five records of the so-called "Great Commission": Matt. 28:19:

"Go ye," Mark 16:15: "Go ye," Luke 24:48: "Ye are witnesses," John 20:21: "So send I you," and Acts 1:8: "Ye shall be witnesses." How preposterous, then, to argue, as so many hard-pressed theologians have done, that one or more segments of the great commission are to be carried out by another generation at a later time!

By what rule of hermeneutics or logic have we the right to exclude from the interpretation of these commands the very persons to whom our Lord gave them, and if this commission is binding on the Church today, what authority have we to choose which part or parts we shall obey?

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - "DOUBTING THOMAS"


Jun 28

"DOUBTING THOMAS"

By Russell S. Miller

"Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25).

A lot of people today are like "doubting Thomas", they just won’t believe. You hand them a gospel tract, with a pleasant word of testimony, and they turn a deaf ear, rejecting the only blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ:

"IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph.1:7).

But Thomas gave himself an "out". He wanted to see the evidence of Christ’s resurrection. Melancholy, yes, Thomas was melancholy, but death is very permanent, and except for the miracle working Christ some 2000 years ago NO ONE comes back from the dead. Even though Thomas witnessed his Lord raise Lazarus from the dead he was skeptical about Christ’s resurrection. That the Invincible One had been overcome and conquered by death was the thought upon the minds of them all. Thomas, and all the apostles, those disciples too, together with the Jews, and the Gentiles, SAW that Christ was dead. And Thomas was not with the other disciples when, on the third day, our Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead.

Now "after eight days" had passed the Lord appeared again to His disciples, and fortunately Thomas was with them this time or he may never have seen the Lord, and Christ said unto them:

"Peace be unto you" (John 20:26).

The Record of Scripture indicates that Thomas had spoken the words of John 20:25 in unbelief. Our Lord’s sudden presence with them was the surprise of his life. It was Thomas’ time to see the Lord, and to his utter delight, he heard Him say:

"Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing" (Ver.27).

"And Thomas answered and said unto Him, MY LORD AND MY GOD" (Ver.28). There was no doubt in his mind now that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, nor were any of the others doubtful about the mighty power of God to save.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:24-29).

Those who find the most for which to criticize "Thomas", when presented with the evidence, and the truth of God’s Word "rightly divided", often find it convenient to reject "The Light" (IICor.4:6), and cling to old errors.

My friend, this is where you and I come in, and the Apostle of the Gentiles, for in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, he writes of our resurrected Christ:

"WHO WAS DELIVERED FOR OUR OFFENCES, AND WAS RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION" (Rom.4:25).

"THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST" (Rom.5:1).

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - GRACE AND DEBT


Jun 29

GRACE AND DEBT

By Cornelius R. Stam

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:4,5). As we look back at all the Old Testament types: the physical types, the narratives, the sacrifices, we exclaim: "The cross was not an accident, nor an afterthought on God’s part: He had it in mind all the while." Surely Paul was right when he said of believers that "[God] hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9).

It is on the basis of the cross, typified all through the Old Testament, that God now saves us by grace through faith alone, and the types show that this was indeed His eternal purpose. Furthermore salvation should be by grace through faith.

As our text, above, declares: if man could earn his salvation it would be the payment of a debt, not the bestowal of a gift -- and God will never be indebted to anyone. He will never be in a position where He owes us, sinners, a debt. Nor will He ever allow us to disgrace ourselves and annoy others by our boasting about how we earned eternal life. But He can, on the basis of the penalty paid at Calvary, bestow salvation as a free gift. This is why we read:

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

"It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9).

God owed Abraham nothing, but seeing his faith He said, in effect: "This man believes Me; I will count his faith for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6). And this He still does for those
who trust Him, only He has now revealed the basis for this action: Christ’s payment for sins at Calvary. This is why, in Romans 4:5, He forbids works for salvation and declares
that the believer’s faith is "counted for righteousness."

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - DOES GOD INTERVENE IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN TODAY?


Jun 30

DOES GOD INTERVENE IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN TODAY?

By Russell S. Miller

There is a teaching these days, that the Lord does not answer the prayers of His saints; that He is not interested, nor does He care about His people today, nor what they do. Since this age of grace is a timeless, signless age, it is argued that God does not intervene in the affairs of men today.

It is, of course, quite true that as far as tongues, signs, and miracles are concerned God has laid aside the Faith Healer in favor of dispensing "grace" through "faith" in this dispensation. But to say that God does not intervene today is in grave error.

The Apostle Paul, and those who have followed his ministry down through the centuries, would tell you that God is very much alive today, and that He is still on His throne.

God is looking for "faithful" men and women to equip for the ministry (ICor.4:1,2). Men whose one desire is to know the truth, and to make it known. Men who will not be drawn away by false doctrine, but who will point the saved, and unsaved alike, to the Scriptures, and the heavenly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in the Pauline epistles.

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph.3:9).

But this error, that the Lord has set the age of grace in motion, only to take His hand away, allowing us to drift without any moorings (Heb.6:19), is unthinkable of God.

THAT THE CONVERSION OF SAUL OF TARSUS was an unexpected event in history as far as prophecy was concerned is obvious (Acts 9:1-6). It certainly took Paul by surprise. And the devil has not yet gotten over the shock of it. But what is most important about Paul’s encounter with Christ is the fact that for 2000 years now, the Gospel of Grace has shined brightly in this dark world. In short, this is the greatest intervention of God into the affairs of men to date, when He physically appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:6-11). A surprise of grace that even the Prophets had not predicted (Col.1:26).

Beloved, God intervenes in the affairs of men every time a sinner trusts Christ as his Saviour. Every time the Gospel is preached God intervenes to "edify" His saints; to save men and women, boys and girls, from sin’s degradation—from a Christless eternity, and conform lives to the image of His Son (Rom.8:29; 12:1,2; Eph.1:18; Phil.3:10). And, by faith alone, to delivers us from this present evil world-system (Gal.1:4). Question: Are you ready for the next event in God’s "mysterious" program, the "catching away" of His Church?

"And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, [who] delivers us from the wrath to come" (IThes.1:10).

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - THE KEY TO AN EFFECTIVE PASTORATE


Jul 1

THE KEY TO AN EFFECTIVE PASTORATE

By Cornelius R. Stam

The humblest pastor, one who has had little opportunity for formal training and may have few natural endowments, may take heart in the knowledge that ultimately the key to true effectiveness in the pastorate is spirituality. And the greatest pastor, well educated and liberally endowed with natural talents, had better remember this, for a large and "successful" ministry is not necessarily blessed and honored of God, while a seemingly insignificant one may be richly blessed.

Remember, the Apostle Paul referred to himself as "unknown, and yet well known," as "poor, yet making many rich" (II Cor. 6:9,10). He could boast no great organizational backing, yet even his co-workers were called "these who have turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6).

The truly spiritual pastor may know little about worldly matters, but he will give much time to the study of the Word of God and will be earnest and instant in prayer. He will not be self-satisfied, or high-minded, but will walk humbly, begging God every day to make him the pastor he ought to be.

The truly spiritual pastor will be "crucified unto the world" and will "flee [from] youthful lusts." He will truly love lost souls and the congregation God has entrusted to him and will toil unremittingly for their good. He will conduct himself as a servant of God and will trust God to use him for His glory.

How can such a pastor be a total failure?

The key to a truly effective pastorate, then, is not intellectual endowment, or scholastic attainment, or a well-rounded education, or a thorough training, much less wealth or fame or personal magnetism; it is spirituality, with its desire to please God and to know and obey His Word, rightly divided.

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - A TALE OF THREE CITIES


Jul 2

A TALE OF THREE CITIES

By Cornelius R. Stam

In Thessalonica Paul reasoned out of the Scriptures for three sabbath days with men who were unwilling to be convinced (Acts 17:1-9). The bigotry of these Thessalonians not only kept them in spiritual darkness, but it moved them to bitter opposition to the truth, so that they persecuted Paul and Silas and even followed them to Berea, stirring people up against them.

Bigotry has the same effect today. Let us never close our minds so as to keep error out, for in doing so we will only shut new light out and close old errors in. Moreover, it is but a small step from shutting out new light from God’s Word to engaging in bitter opposition against it.

The Athenians went to the other extreme. They lost interest in what was old and clamored only to hear new things (Acts 17:21). Yet when Paul came to them with the good news of the gospel of grace, some "mocked" while others, more polite, said: "We will hear thee again of this matter," and turned away (Verse 32).

The Athenian spirit too is still rife today. Many are constantly giving up the old and looking for something new, sure that the latest fashions, the latest statistics and the latest advice must be best. This is why the New Evangelicalism has gained so many followers in our day.

Significantly, the story of the noble Bereans falls between those of the Thessalonians and the Athenians in our Bibles. These Bereans possessed true spiritual greatness. They gave man’s word respectful consideration, whether old or new, but then subjected it to careful examination in the light of the Word of God. They received Paul’s word, we read, with open minds, and then "searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Verse 11). For this God called them "noble." They were the spiritual aristocracy of their day.

May God help us to be neither "Thessalonians" nor "Athenians," but true Bereans. If we follow men we drift on a sea of human speculation, for men disagree on the most vital issues. Only as we stand on the infallible, unchangeable Word of God can we be sure that we have the truth.

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT


Jul 3

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

By Cornelius R. Stam

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law" (Gal. 5:22,23).

The "fruit of the Spirit" is that combination of graces evidenced in the lives of believers who "walk in the Spirit."  Let us never make the mistake of supposing that "the Spirit," in Gal. 5:22,23, refers to "the spirit of man which is in him" (I Cor. 2:11). It refers rather to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, who indwells believers. The spiritual virtues listed above do not spring from any goodness in us, but from the Spirit of God dwelling within.

Next, we should observe that these graces are not the product of human effort. The passage above declares that they are fruit, and fruit is the natural product of life and growth. Indeed, "the fruit of the Spirit" is here contrasted with "the works of the flesh" (Vers. 19-21), and these are all bad!

Finally, it is a remarkable fact that the graces which the Holy Spirit produces in yielded believers are certainly not those which the world admires.

The world admires self-confidence, self-respect, self-made men, intellectual prowess, personal magnetism, authority, etc., while the Spirit produces "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." But consider the difference. A man may have self-confidence, intellectual acumen, political or other power -- and he may still be very difficult to live with, but not so with the virtues which the Spirit produces. Of those who possess these graces the Apostle says: "Against such there
is no law."

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - THE REIGN OF GRACE


Jul 4

THE REIGN OF GRACE

By Cornelius R. Stam

It is amazing that God should still send forth the good news of His grace in a world where His Word and will are increasingly despised.

The growing wickedness of "this present evil age," of course, only emphasizes the true character of grace, for grace is the mercy and love of God toward those who do not deserve it (See Eph. 2:2-6).

It is interesting to observe that while the four "Gospels" and the Acts take up twice as much space in our Bibles as the Epistles of St. Paul, yet the word "grace," in the original, appears only 27 times in the "Gospels" and the Acts, while it occurs 107 times in the Pauline epistles: a ratio of 27 to 214 in favor of the Pauline epistles! Furthermore,
only a very few times in the "Gospels" and the Acts is the doctrine of grace referred to, while in the Epistles of Paul almost every reference has to do with the doctrine of God’s
love and favor to undeserving sinners.

True, "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," but it was not manifested at His birth, or even during His earthly life, for He lived and died under the Law (Gal. 4:4,5). As "the law was given by Moses," not at his birth, nor when a prince in Pharaoh’s court, nor yet when he served with his father-in-law in the desert, nor even when he returned to deliver Israel from Egypt, but years later at Sinai, so "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," not at His birth, nor during His earthly ministry, nor even during His resurrection appearances, but after His ascension to heaven, when He committed the dispensing of it to Paul (Eph. 3:
1-4).

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - THE NEW CREATION


Jul 5

THE NEW CREATION

By Cornelius R. Stam

In Romans 5:12 God tells us how we are all related to the first man, Adam:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin... so death passed upon all men..."

This verse clearly indicates that every child born into the world since Adam has partaken of Adam’s sinful nature.

Parents sometimes wonder why their children act as they do. The answer is simple! Every child is related to rebellious Adam by physical birth, and soon rebels like Adam, whose offspring he is.

In Scripture we are told that God "commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).

When you are in trouble and someone comes to your aid, are you not automatically drawn to that person? Should we not then be attracted to the One who cared so much for us that He "made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:7,8)?

Through natural birth we partake of the sinful natures of our parents back to Adam, and frequently we even have the same physical features as our parents. How touching, then, to know that the Lord Jesus Christ took on Him "the likeness of men" (apart from sin) and, as the God-man, died for our sins upon the cross, where sinful men (people like us) nailed Him! As we recognize this and place our faith in Him, a spiritual birth takes place and we become the children of God (John 1:12). More than this, we become members of the Body of Christ, God’s new creation, for "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation" (II Cor. 5:17). "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

________________________

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Two Minutes With The Bible - A FAITHFUL SAYING


Jul 6

A FAITHFUL SAYING

By Cornelius R. Stam

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (I Tim. 1:15).

Of all Paul’s "faithful sayings," this is perhaps the most wonderful, and the one through which most people have found the joy of sins forgiven.

The subject is that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Why else would Christ have had to leave His glory in heaven if it were not, as the Bible says, to come to earth in human form to represent us in the payment for sin? And, thank God, He paid the full price for the sins of all men, for it was not a mere man who died on Calvary’s cross. So complete was His payment that Paul could exclaim: "He came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Paul, himself, though once Christ’s chief enemy on earth, had now been saved by Him and, had come to know the joy of sins forgiven.

The great tragedy is that so many people do not feel their condition to be hopeless apart from Christ. They have not yet seen how far they come short of the glory and holiness of God. They know they are sinners, but they do not yet feel that their condition is so hopeless that they need a Savior. Thus they keep trying, trying, trying -- and failing, failing, failing!

How much wiser we are to confess our sins before God -- to take the place of sinners, so that He can save us. This is the first step to heaven. When we have done this we are in a position to accept God’s offer of full pardon and justification through Christ, who died to pay the penalty for our sins.

Since none are perfect and all have sinned, "this is," indeed, "a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Why not believe God’s Word, accept Christ as your Savior and be saved today?

________________________

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[nChrist]

Two Minutes With The Bible - GODS POWER PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS


Jul 7

GOD’S POWER PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS

By Cornelius R. Stam

To Paul was committed the greatest revelation of all time. He was divinely commissioned to proclaim the glorious all-sufficiency of Christ’s redemptive work. He made known God’s offer of salvation by free grace to all who trust in Christ, along with their heavenly position, blessings and prospect in Christ.

Lest he should become puffed up by the glory of these great truths, God gave him what he called "a thorn in the flesh," an aggravating physical infirmity of some sort. "For this thing," he says, "I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me" (II Cor. 12:8). But the Lord knew better than Paul what was good for him:

"And He said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (Ver. 9).

How right God was! Every Christian knows that with brimming health and "good fortune" comes the tendency to forget our need of Him, while infirmity causes us to lean harder and to pray more, and this is where our spiritual power lies. Every believer should acknowledge this and say with Paul:

"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities... for when I am weak, then am I strong" (Vers. 9,10). Infirmities of the flesh are common even among God’s choicest saints. What satisfaction there is, then, in resting upon God’s Word: "My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

________________________

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[nChrist]

Two Minutes With The Bible - FOR JESUS SAKE


Jul 8

FOR JESUS’ SAKE

By Cornelius R. Stam

"Delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake" (II Cor. 4:11). There is much that we all do for our own sake, for the sake of our children, our loved ones or others, but the real test of the believer’s love for the Lord is what he does "for Jesus’ sake."

Under the dispensation of Law our Lord told His disciples that to be forgiven they must forgive:  "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven" (Luke 6:37), "but if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matt. 6:15).

But now, under the dispensation of grace, He exhorts us to forgive one another "even as God for Christ’s sake HATH forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32).  The difference is striking.  Before the cross: If you would be forgiven, forgive.  Now, in the light of the cross: You have been graciously forgiven for Christ’s sake.  In the light of this be tenderhearted and forgiving toward others.

And we are to go farther than this: Not only are we to forgive our brethren in Christ, but we are to be prepared to show this attitude toward the world as well.  St. Paul said:

"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all" (I Cor. 9:19), and referring to his persecutions by unbelievers, he said: "We... are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake" (II Cor. 4:11).  How many unbelievers would be won to Christ; how many of our Christian friends would be strengthened and helped, if we adopted this attitude toward others!

As to suffering itself, the Apostle also gladly bore this "for Jesus’ sake."  In writing to the Corinthians, he said:  "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:10).  He had learned that in weakness he leaned the harder, prayed more, and was brought closer to His Lord, and herein lay his spiritual strength.

________________________

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