A Chemical Analysis . . .

A Chemical Analysis . . .

of some of the apostles’ letters, for the purpose of genuinely and carefully analyzing the most important things they had on their hearts, and what they considered less important, shows with all desirable clarity that they almost exclusively write about life, about a life in God, about victory over sin, about putting off all conscious sin, about the virtues of Christ, about the fruits of the Spirit.

In many of the letters there is not a single word about the elementary principles and minor matters, such as: baptism, the breaking of bread, gifts of the Spirit, and many other things. Altogether, we find just a few words about anything other than life itself.

Yet these few words about all the other things that are also a part of Christendom are nevertheless sufficient. What we always need to hear, what we can never have enough of, is the Word of Life, light over Life, exhortations to believe and seek it with all of our heart, strengthening us in our faith in victory and in the assurance that it definitely shall succeed if we give ourselves completely when we fulfill the conditions and believe with all of our heart, and constant encouragement to pursue all the virtues of Christ, together with serious exhortations to shun sin in all its shapes and guises.

The slogan: Rather die than sin!

In one of Paul’s letters, he writes about the life in God seventy-eight times, giving thirty-six personal testimonies of this new life that God had wrought in him, and numerous exhortations to seek this life.

Unfortunately, there are almost no exhortations to God’s people in the usual religious preaching! And there are “good” reasons for it—the reason being that they do not believe that it is of any help whatsoever. That is a manifestation of unbelief. Besides, it is pointless to exhort others to live a life you do not live yourself. If they had really believed in an overcoming life and had partaken of it, they would obviously have proclaimed it plainly and clearly with great enthusiasm.

The analysis shows clearly how the apostles lived, what they believed, what they considered great and glorious, the faith and hope they had for others, and most of all, the love they had for souls.

Let us walk in their steps, just as Paul exhorts us to do!

The usual preaching concerns itself almost exclusively with the elementary principles and all minor matters.

The analysis shows, however, that one of the next most important things the apostles had on their hearts was to warn against bad and false preachers. And when we think about it, the reason is obvious because it is, of course, the negative side of the very matter, which is a genuine life in God, a truly new life in all details. False liberty is a deception. It cheats people out of true life.

How glorious this is! What grace and help it is that we have the letters of these true apostles! If we are upright, we will receive clear instructions by paying careful attention to and thinking about what they have written.

Do this, my beloved and precious friends!