Life Is the Light of Men

Life Is the Light of Men

Why did God create us? Why were we born? Was it to eat, drink and have fun? Was it to gather earthly treasures? Why did He send His Son? Was it so we could become nice, religious people? Aren’t there already enough people like that in this world?

God has created us as living individuals with a free will. He has given us tests so that we might have the opportunity to personally choose whom we want to serve, be it God or our own flesh. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. God lets us know what His will is, but at the same time the flesh also makes its will and demands known. We are free to choose whom we will serve. God has prepared all things so wisely and has placed the choice in our own hands. We see what most people choose: they consistently choose to satisfy the flesh. They begin doing so as little children and continue until they die. Few choose to follow the mind and leading of the Spirit, which is so completely contrary to the flesh. Such people will be misunderstood and hated by the world and despised by the religious world; yet they will be loved and honored by God. And those who follow Christ on His way of the cross will also understand and love them. Many people think that the gospel of Christ is something that is only pertinent when a person is on his deathbed. So they live their life, hoping they will get a chance to “get right with God” just before they die—as if God is the God of the dead, with a particular interest in those wretched corpses that are worn out through all kinds of sinning. They think a person’s youth with its strength is best used to serve Satan. Vanity of vanities!! If someone finally—after years of procrastination—gets converted, then God has tremendous difficulty getting them to quit their sinful habits—one by one—that cling so closely. Generally, peoples’ fear of God brings them no further than dropping in now and then to some church to listen to a sermon, all the while clinging tenaciously to all their old vices. They grudgingly slog along as if the Christian life is something from Satan himself. No wonder young people are afraid of this sort of Christianity and avoid it like the plague.

What does the apostle say about his Christianity? “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Cor. 11:1. This is a goal worth striving for, one worth attaining in Christ. This Christianity suits young people exceptionally well. You don’t need to struggle your entire life to quit smoking. Cut it off with a swift sword-blow—because there are hundreds of other things in your life that also need to be cut off one by one. This is the way of sanctification, and all enemies of the cross hate it. This is also the way to strength, and young people thrive here, because they can set high goals for themselves, for this life and for the life to come.

Are you one who by your example brings reproach over the Christian life? Then be serious and repent! We cannot go to heaven smoking a pipe on one side of our mouth and chewing tobacco on the other. For such people, the Christian life becomes like a funeral procession, heavy and grievous, and they bring reproach over Christ’s name.

The cross of Christ is profitable and His burden is light. The Christian life is an unshakable, fulfilling and genuine life. If you want to find trustworthy, reliable people, look for them on the way of the cross. Talking about the cross is not the cross; it is just chitchat. You find the cross by living a life of self-denial. Life is to be our doctrine, and the doctrine our life. There are artists who are very gifted, yet they live immoral lives. There are also gifted preachers who have no idea what the cross of Christ really is—in spirit and truth. Gifts are not life; they are talents and abilities which life can utilize, either to live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. If you want a future and a hope, then follow Christ. Don’t just sit there sleeping in some meeting hall. Don’t believe that living a comfortable, religious life is Christianity. The obedience of faith is the only thing that has true and lasting value. Nothing else is worth considering.

By God’s grace we have preached the cross to young people—something that older Christians avoid. Many young people attended the last Easter conference. They love coming to these conferences, and if for some reason they can’t make it, they are disappointed. Youth are not interested in being flattered like older people are. You can tell them exactly what you think—and that is how it should be. Happy are they who from their youth come into this blessed way of the cross!

I want the friends to have the joy of knowing that, despite opposition from every side, the truths of the cross are spreading with amazing speed. We talk about these things late into the night, and it seems that the zeal only increases. These truths have also been spread in America by Br. John Lohne, and things are developing over there just as they have done here with people crying out against a dangerous doctrine, but no one can explain what the danger is. Presumably people are angry at being woken up from their sleep. It is easy to sleep when a person is taught that Jesus has done everything for him and that trying to follow Him is bondage. Such a gospel has brought death and condemnation to many souls here in our country, and yet they continue trying to entice new people into this false liberty. This false gospel has distinguished spokesmen, namely these traveling preachers in fur coats who tour the country eating, drinking and preaching, and who fill their magazines with all sorts of nonsense and stories about their travels.

I want to exhort everyone who is walking on the way of the cross: Preach the Word in season and out of season, so that people’s eyes may be opened to all the empty and profane drivel about divine truths. Be a light for your generation by exposing this folly that comes in the form of an angel of light. Jesus fought His whole life against those who, because of the way they lived, projected a distorted picture of God’s truths.

Use the time. Convince people one by one. I have seen and heard people who considered it too insignificant to work with one individual’s soul. They wanted large congregations, yet they themselves have ended up falling away, so they were not able to help even one single person. I have also seen people who rejoice over a single soul as over a precious pearl, and they have become leaders and shepherds for many. For that matter, it is not a person’s position that makes him valuable, but rather his ability to help others to become something for God and the Church. This is worth striving for because the others’ salvation will be our crown and reward on that Day. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven in the dough. The dough is not completely leavened right away; that happens little by little. It is like rolling a snowball in wet snow. You do not get a big snowball at the first turn, but if you keep rolling it, the snowball becomes bigger and bigger. So be patient, because patience produces a perfect work. A person who lacks patience leaves a trail of half-finished works behind him. Such a person is of no value to God, who wants us to be perfect and complete.

Life is the light of men. No one has more light than the life he has lived—even if he has a lot of good theories. Bible school cannot give the students light. On the contrary, they are given a taste for the knowledge that puffs up. Jesus instructed His disciples in the school of life day and night, on land and on sea. This was the right kind of Bible school. Apart from this, the natural man can only grasp the Scriptures through his senses in the same way he comprehends history, geography, mathematics and language.

The church of God needs men and women who are thoroughly permeated with the “Light of Life.”