Exactness

“You have commanded us to keep Your commandments diligently [exactly].” Ps. 119:4. If we do not keep them exactly, we do not keep them at all. This is in harmony with the word that we are to love God with all our heart. In other words, then it is all, it is exact. When what I say is almost true or not quite true, it is not true at all.

If what I do is almost righteous, it is unrighteous. We can say that exactness is a brother of truth and righteousness.

Of course this pertains to keeping God’s precepts, all the words of life, or the one thing that is necessary. However, it is a sad fact, and extremely ironic, that most people are more concerned with following customs than they are with following God’s precepts and the one thing that is necessary. Many are faithful followers of other people’s opinions and their customs and habits of daily life, as if that were God’s precepts, the one necessary thing; at the same time, they break many of the laws of the Spirit of life because of their lack of the fear of God! The irony of ironies!

For example: An earthly matter has to be accomplished in a certain way or absolutely so and so often. This is a commandment of man, not a precept of God. It will go just as well another way. How it is done is completely immaterial when compared to the one thing that is necessary. Earthly matters are not that important. However, it is something else again if we are in someone else’s service. Then we should discharge our earthly duties exactly as they want. If we are too occupied with earthly things for our own sake, if we are too interested in them, then we deprive ourselves of the heavenly things—usually without being aware of it. Here is where the word applies, “No one can serve two masters.” Matt. 6:24.

In Isaiah 21:7 we find this expression: “And he listened diligently with great care.” If we paid diligent attention to and followed what it says in Hebrews 13:5: “Be content with such things as you have . . . ,” what would we then buy or procure for ourselves besides food and drink and things that need to be replaced because they are worn out? Answer: Nothing! Then we can be sure that the gates of heaven would be opened, and we would be flooded with unspeakably great blessings! If the sisters used great care in the matter of adorning themselves with a meek and quiet spirit through a living faith, they would also thereby be able to bridle their tongue fully and thus become graceful, heavenly beings who would virtually swim in blessings. They would always exert a blessed effect on everything around them! It would simply be inevitable.

“But let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” Every true sister can possess this incorruptible quality by God’s grace and through a living faith, if they pay very close attention to God’s Word.

It is impossible to obtain if you are not completely serious about it. So it is with every Word of life. Be very exact in not judging others. Be very exact when it comes to using each opportunity to judge yourself. Be very exact in giving away as much as possible. Be very exact in loving one another and loving your neighbor—just as deeply and just as sincerely as you love yourself. The consequences this will have! The results it will bring! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you—be very exact in this area! Always be very bold and of very good courage. Always be very willing to serve, so willing that you are just itching to get at it, etc., etc. Let it be a motto among us. Extremely boiling hot! Seething hot! And why not? Be very exact in these things. Be very exact when it comes to giving away as much as possible! What an indescribably blessed life you will then obviously partake of. And how happy you can make other people with it! They will receive the desire for the same life, according to the true saying, “The power of example is great!” Just think! Being very exact when it comes to doing as many profitable things as possible; for example, writing as much as possible, constrained by Christ’s love, according to the perfect law of liberty; writing letters, only love letters, and articles to Skjulte Skatter as well as to other publications. Think to be very exact when it comes to speaking and writing with great exactness, as close to the absolute, eternal truth as possible at any given moment. The sanctification and growth that will necessarily result from that! It cannot be otherwise if you are in dead earnest about it. What does hunger and thirst for this dictate? That there is a great need in my heart, that it is absolutely vital for me. May everyone be mightily apprehended of this in his innermost being. The opposite of this is—to a lesser or greater or very great extent—superficiality, carelessness, indifference, sleep, lukewarmness, laziness. All these things exclude us from the kingdom of God, which consists of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom. 14:17.