From Aksel Smith’s Writings

From Aksel Smith’s Writings

Profound humility is required to acknowledge that an exhortation is justified. People complain about their foolish acts but are too proud to acknowledge it because they think they will appear more foolish and lowlier in other people’s eyes by bringing them into the light. This is the reason for the many protests, excuses, and evasions that such people come with when they are exhorted. They are also the very ones who have many faults but demand to be seen as if they had none. And those who are blind to their own faults act and see themselves as being perfect.

Making excuses is to blame situations and people, making them responsible for our own action. There are people who are comforted by the fact that others are no better—as if it were your responsibility that others are comforted by the fact that you are no better.

Excuses as well as false comfort are like dark clouds that are between a soul and God. Excuses are the first-born descendants of sin (Gen. 3:12-13) that ascribe folly to someone else in order to cover oneself. This is the way of covering up sin with lies—covering up sin with sin.

The person who lets an exhortation judge him continues to advance and is freed from a burden; but the person who does not listen will burden his conscience with judgment. An acknowledged truth is an acknowledged light whereby the soul’s spiritual boundaries are extended. The person who denies the light covers his way with darkness. The person who loves God delights in His judgments of his self-life even in the midst of its protestations. The person who hates his soul remains in darkness with the judgment of light resting on him.

Only the person who is grieved because of other people’s faults has the right to exhort. All exhortations should have deliverance as their aim. The person who exhorts in order to exalt himself uses his light as darkness. Yet an exhortation can be light for the other person while it is darkness for the one who exhorts. The person who serves his self-life with God’s light deceives himself in return and is punished by his own action.

An exhortation must not have its source in dissatisfaction or annoyance with others; it must be given out of love for them. The person who exhorts for any other reason than love has still not learned that victory for others must first be gained in his own life. The aim of an exhortation is victory for the soul who is being exhorted. Someone cannot be longsuffering with others if he is not patient with himself. If a person is not longsuffering, he is not fit to exhort. For most often the person himself becomes impatient when the one who is being exhorted does not immediately receive the exhortation. “Exhort with all longsuffering and teaching.” 2 Tim. 4:2.

Do not rejoice that your exhortation has had a good result, and do not bemoan the fact that the other person has at last had his eyes opened. Do not discourage the other person, but rather humbly thank God that He has had His hand over you, remembering that you need exhortation and forbearance yourself.

Leaders of assemblies quite often resist the truth because of vain ambition, making a living, enjoyment of life, and the fear of going down and partaking of the reproach of Christ. They do this in spite of the fact that they well understand what is true and right. However, the person who loses his life has nothing to fear.