Just as there is a life-line, there is also a death-line. Every person moves according to one of these two lines, whether he or she is aware of it or not. Jesus is the Prince of Life. He is life itself. He lived life. He revealed it to us. It was unknown before Him. He brought life to light. 2 Tim. 1:10. The life-line consists of only serving and giving. “God so loved the world that He gave . . . .” John 3:16. There is no other way to love! Give yourself and everything you possess and everything you will possess in the future. Give your abilities and strengths, money, possessions, time, interests, love, care, light, knowledge, forgiveness, instruction, encouragement, exhortation, correction, chastisement, and consolation. Love is the power, the attitude of mind, the quality and thought process that always and only thinks of serving and giving: serving all those who are willing to be served, and giving what you have and can give to everyone who wants to and is able to receive it. This was the only thing that occupied Jesus. These are the steps He left behind. This was also the apostles’ only occupation. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give . . . .” Matt. 20:28. This is the only glorious life-line. Blessed is everyone who moves along this life-line of love, never stepping away from it, neither to the left nor to the right, for there is no sin on this line. All sin is found beside it. The immediate consequence of taking a single step away from this glorious life-line is sin. Then you will immediately end up on the death-line. Sin and death belong together. The opposite of life is death, and the opposite of serving and giving is demanding and insisting and expecting something from others. Unfortunately, the common way of thinking is that if demands are not too great yet reasonable, they are acceptable. However, the truth is that every demand is actually of the evil. Every demand is self-love. The source of every demand is a bad attitude of mind that is opposed to the mind and Spirit of Christ. Demands on others are the cause of all strife and uproar, all wars and unrest among people in their homes, at their places of employment, in assemblies, and among nations. These demands immediately provoke counter demands, and so it goes, along the death-line. One demand usually releases an entire string of sins of various kinds: discontent, anger, strife, hatred, etc. It is possible to put an end to walking on this death-line completely. This is the intention, and to this we are called. Glory to God! We have a powerful and very significant expression concerning the situation on the death-line, namely, Proverbs 30:15: “The leech has two daughters: “‘Give to me! Give to me!’”Norwegian Bible translation. Both of them have the same name, for both of them are exactly alike and are the express image of their mother. A leech attaches itself to others and sucks the blood out of them. Covetousness is of the same kind. The person always wants to have all kinds of things for himself. Alas, alas! What a spirit, what a nature, what a wretched attitude of mind. My dearly beloved! Let us be exclusively filled with the love of Christ, faithfully walking on this glorious way of life, not taking a single step away from it!Elias Aslaksen

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” It was easy for the disciples as long as they had Jesus to go to. He answered all their questions; they did not bear any responsibility for decisions if only they were obedient. This is how people like to have it. They gather around one person and let him make all the decisions so they don’t have to bear any responsibility, and so they choose for themselves teachers according to their own desires. 2 Tim. 4:3. In this way, men with new doctrines arise, and they arouse many people who flock around them. When their leader passes on, the flock is helpless and is scattered. Or if there is a religious leader with life and spirit who establishes a movement, he organizes it, and when he passes on, the organization holds the flock together, but the life and spirit of it dies out. They no longer have a great person they can look up to who can make decisions for them. This results in strife and division. Acts 5:36-39. This is not how Jesus worked, and this is not how God’s true servants work. He was to give them the Mediator, the Holy Spirit, and He was to guide them into all truth. They themselves were to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. It would have been extremely cumbersome for the apostles when they were in various places and came up against all kinds of situations to have to seek out a person and ask for guidance. It was totally different after they had received the Holy Spirit into their hearts who could guide them in the present moment. The Spirit forces no one. He can lead only those who have given up their self-will, leading them into oneness in Christ, for He takes from Jesus and declares it to them. That is why things really began to progress after Jesus had left them. Most believers are busy with the world; consequently, they cannot hear the voice of the Spirit. They have to have someone who can say everything to their natural ears. Such people can be guided and kept in place by a person whom they esteem or by an organization with rules and regulations; and so they do what is required to be a member, but for everything else they live for themselves. This is why money matters are always a big problem. How much should a person give to God’s cause, and how much should he keep for himself? They have to be put under the law because they cannot hear God’s voice, and they themselves think it is quite in order to be told to give a certain amount. When they have given that amount, they feel free and can use the rest for themselves with a good conscience. The religious leaders put them under the law of the tithe. This is what they had to do in the old covenant because they did not have the Spirit, yet this is how many believers who are not Jesus’ disciples live today. Jesus said that no one can be His disciple unless he forsakes everything, takes up his cross daily, and denies himself. In other words, they have to be offered up. Then they can be sealed with the Holy Spirit and be led by Him instead of being under the law. The law gives them firm rules that apply in given situations, but those who are born of the Spirit are as unpredictable as the wind. John 3:8. They are sacrificed and seek nothing for themselves; therefore they can live under the guidance of the Spirit in faith, and from one moment to the next they are led to the whole truth. They do not need to be anxious for what they should say when they have to appear in court. It will be given them in that same hour, for it is the Spirit of their Father who speaks in them. Matt. 10:19-20. Those who are not a sacrifice do not act like that. They require something for themselves, yet they also want to serve God. Such people ask constantly: “Is it sin? Can’t I do that if I am a Christian?” etc. They live in the world and have to have commandments and rules (Col. 2:20), performing many dead works to soothe their consciences. Heb. 9:14. There is constant strife and division among those who are under the law, and in our days God’s people are divided into many denominations; there is even strife within these denominations. They seek their own, which is why they are not guided by the Spirit; they live legalistically according to their understanding. Phil. 2:20-21. They collide with each other as they serve God, resulting in envy and division. Those who are a sacrifice do not seek their own. The Spirit can lead them into all truth. They are joined and knit together in serving (Eph. 4:16) as a matter of course when the Spirit leads them. A body arises in which each one individually receives a ministry and the lowliest receives the greatest honor; and if one suffers, they all suffer. 1 Cor. 12:25-27. This was the work of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and this has been the work of the Spirit throughout all these years. This is also the work of the Spirit in these days that the church—the body of Christ—is developing and is edified. All of us who are experiencing the truth of this work of the Spirit are rejoicing. We are part of this: “And His wife has made herself ready.” With this in mind, hope and joy fill our hearts with the result that “in all our afflictions we are not afflicted.”Sigurd Bratlie

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps . . . .” 1 Pet. 2:21. Jesus suffered for us, justifying us by faith and leaving us an example that we should follow. Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and, the Lamb that was slain. Here we see both extremes of the nature of love. We have seen Him as a lion in the temple when He made Himself a whip of cords and drove out those who did business there. John 2:14-17. His zeal for accomplishing God’s will and word—is that not an awesome example for us? Was He not an example when He, in the love of God, confronted His contemporary worshipers and contradicted them without fear? The Lion of Judah overcame; therefore He could open the book and do all the things He did here, in the days of His flesh. Jesus was a lamb and He overcame as a lamb. “Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” Isa. 53:7. He was always silent in His own defense, and when He said something it was for the others’ sake. He could not do anything of Himself. He has left us an example so we can follow His steps. The disciple will be like his Master when he is fully taught. We must look forward to that in faith, without fear or doubting, always living by faith and not drawing back; otherwise we will lose God’s pleasure over our life. We must be able to perform our work as a lion when it is required, and as a lamb when that is required. “For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ . . . .” Eph. 4:12. “That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3:17. This concerns every one of us, and no one can with good reason think that it does not concern him. It is reminiscent of the one who received the one talent. As truly as you think that you belong to the church, it concerns you. You must also learn to be equipped for every good work: to bear, to suffer and be contradicted, and to be patient, so that you are not a reproach to Christ and His church. Paul praises the Philippians for their fellowship in the work for the gospel “from the first day until now.” Phil. 1:5. Christ did not come to earth as King or High Priest, He came as a servant; and when He was found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Phil. 2:8. This tells us that “His Highness” has no place in the work; he has to hurry and come down, for down below he will meet people with whom he can have good fellowship. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus . . . .” Phil. 2:5-8. In this mind we are finished with our disunity and arguing; in this mind we all become one. The mind of Christ is the foundation for all fellowship and brotherhood, and in this mind humanness is “shown the door.” There is consolation and comfort of love, there is compassion and mercy in the mind of Christ. Christ lived for the others; He also came to earth for the others’ sake. He endured the cross, despising the shame, and withstood much hostility from sinners. Therefore we are also exhorted to consider Him, lest we become weary and discouraged in our souls. Heb. 12:2-3. We have been promised a share in divine nature; it will be natural for us to act like Christ and be like Him. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1 John 2:6. “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12. May we truly follow our example and live for each other, being keenly interested in the others’ best.Andreas Nilsen