This is the dividing line for our entire lives.
Skip all the "iron sharpens iron." Skip all the "I have to teach them." Skip eschatology, works v. grace, homosexuality, righteousness, tithing, Sabbath, "I've got to fix them in the name of the Lord." Skip all the excuses endlessly parading on this forum to talk about God without worrying about listening to God. This is the dividing line!
From Spurgeon.
“And God divided the light from the darkness.”
Gen 1:4
A believer has two principles at work within him. In his natural estate he was subject to one principle only, which was darkness; now light has entered, and the two principles disagree. Mark the apostle Paul’s words in the seventh chapter of Romans: “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.” How is this state of things occasioned? “The Lord divided the light from the darkness.” Darkness, by itself, is quiet and undisturbed, but when the Lord sends in light, there is a conflict, for the one is in opposition to the other: a conflict which will never cease till the believer is altogether light in the Lord. If there be a division within the individual Christian, there is certain to be a division without. So soon as the Lord gives to any man light, he proceeds to separate himself from the darkness around; he secedes from a merely worldly religion of outward ceremonial, for nothing short of the gospel of Christ will now satisfy him, and he withdraws himself from worldly society and frivolous amusements, and seeks the company of the saints, for “We know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” The light gathers to itself, and the darkness to itself. What God has divided, let us never try to unite, but as Christ went without the camp, bearing his reproach, so let us come out from the ungodly, and be a peculiar people. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners; and, as he was, so we are to be nonconformists to the world, dissenting from all sin, and distinguished from the rest of mankind by our likeness to our Master.
So, what are we going to do about that dividing line? Because it comes in two ways.
1. Is the Light winning the battle for my life or am I letting the darkness lead?
2. Am I trusting the Light in another person, or am I following the darkness of the other?
Just because we say we're Christian, doesn't mean we are. Just because we argue some point about the Bible does not mean we're following the Light. We are capable of following the darkness even still.
WWJD? Did Jesus spend his time arguing grace versus works? Did he spend his time arguing over how the world would end? Did he spend his time arguing the question of homosexuality? Did he spend his time arguing creationism over evolution? Did he spend his time arguing reformed versus Wesleyism? Did he spend his time arguing Phariseeism? What does Jesus do?
He had one focus! The Light and the glory of that Light!
So how about giving up on arguing anything and come to the Light? Within our members. And within the members!
Even if you are on the winning side of your argument, but there is no light, it is merely the brass ring on a merry-go-round! It's never time to seek the brass ring. It is always time to seek the Light!
If you're here for frivolous amusement, get out! This is a place to learn about the Light and enjoy the Light with others seeking the Light. Not a place to foster the darkness!
This is a blackout-free zone! And the only way that happens is when we fill it with the Light!
Skip all the "iron sharpens iron." Skip all the "I have to teach them." Skip eschatology, works v. grace, homosexuality, righteousness, tithing, Sabbath, "I've got to fix them in the name of the Lord." Skip all the excuses endlessly parading on this forum to talk about God without worrying about listening to God. This is the dividing line!
From Spurgeon.
“And God divided the light from the darkness.”
Gen 1:4
A believer has two principles at work within him. In his natural estate he was subject to one principle only, which was darkness; now light has entered, and the two principles disagree. Mark the apostle Paul’s words in the seventh chapter of Romans: “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.” How is this state of things occasioned? “The Lord divided the light from the darkness.” Darkness, by itself, is quiet and undisturbed, but when the Lord sends in light, there is a conflict, for the one is in opposition to the other: a conflict which will never cease till the believer is altogether light in the Lord. If there be a division within the individual Christian, there is certain to be a division without. So soon as the Lord gives to any man light, he proceeds to separate himself from the darkness around; he secedes from a merely worldly religion of outward ceremonial, for nothing short of the gospel of Christ will now satisfy him, and he withdraws himself from worldly society and frivolous amusements, and seeks the company of the saints, for “We know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” The light gathers to itself, and the darkness to itself. What God has divided, let us never try to unite, but as Christ went without the camp, bearing his reproach, so let us come out from the ungodly, and be a peculiar people. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners; and, as he was, so we are to be nonconformists to the world, dissenting from all sin, and distinguished from the rest of mankind by our likeness to our Master.
So, what are we going to do about that dividing line? Because it comes in two ways.
1. Is the Light winning the battle for my life or am I letting the darkness lead?
2. Am I trusting the Light in another person, or am I following the darkness of the other?
Just because we say we're Christian, doesn't mean we are. Just because we argue some point about the Bible does not mean we're following the Light. We are capable of following the darkness even still.
WWJD? Did Jesus spend his time arguing grace versus works? Did he spend his time arguing over how the world would end? Did he spend his time arguing the question of homosexuality? Did he spend his time arguing creationism over evolution? Did he spend his time arguing reformed versus Wesleyism? Did he spend his time arguing Phariseeism? What does Jesus do?
He had one focus! The Light and the glory of that Light!
So how about giving up on arguing anything and come to the Light? Within our members. And within the members!
Even if you are on the winning side of your argument, but there is no light, it is merely the brass ring on a merry-go-round! It's never time to seek the brass ring. It is always time to seek the Light!
If you're here for frivolous amusement, get out! This is a place to learn about the Light and enjoy the Light with others seeking the Light. Not a place to foster the darkness!
This is a blackout-free zone! And the only way that happens is when we fill it with the Light!
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.2 (or sister)