Summer Conferences

Both old and young look forward to the summer conferences at Brunstad with expectation. The arrangements were such that the large flock of children and young people could experience an all-around pleasant time. However, the conferences concentrate first and foremost on “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord!” Jer. 22:29. There was an abundance of the Word of the Lord during both summer conferences. It was so abundant that a report from the meetings would constitute an entire book if everything were to be written down. Since what follows is only a condensed conference report, we are just going to recount the main points of Br. Kåre J. Smith’s rich ministry which gave direction to what else was spoken at the meetings.

Salvation “in the Land”

Paul could proclaim tremendous things to the Jews in Asia Minor, namely, that they could be justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses. Acts 13:39-41. This is not only from past sins, but a salvation and redemption from the root and source of sin—a salvation in the body. This is a message that God speaks to us in these days by the Son, as we read in Hebrews 1:2. The Father does not have a more important message to proclaim to people by the Son than the message of perfect redemption from sin in the body.

The ancient heroes of faith we read about in Hebrews 11 saw this salvation from afar, but they did not obtain the things that were promised. in verse 40 we read that they should not be made perfect apart from us. The perfection that is mentioned in this context is salvation from all the sin that dwells in the body—everything from which the law could not save us and which caused unrest in our inner being. Peter writes that this is the salvation of which the prophets inquired and searched diligently—about the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 1 Pet. 1:10, ff. This is a salvation that implies that we can partake of divine nature during our time on earth.

The friends of the bridegroom that we read about in John 3:29 were those who saw this salvation from afar, but the bride experienced it herself and partook of it. We are now living in this time with such inconceivable possibilities. When we read in Philippians 3:7, ff., we can see how Paul was apprehended of this bridal calling. He suffered the loss of all things and considered it but dung that he might gain Christ. He was a man who had great opportunities in the ancient world, but he considered all that as loss and dung compared to the salvation in Jesus Christ. We cannot really comprehend the glories we can obtain through the gospel if we are thinking of all the things we have to forsake in this world. All the things that Paul (for example) was according to the flesh would come to an end when he died. But the gospel gave him a future far beyond death and the grave, a future as the bride of Christ who descends from heaven “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Rev. 21. Can you see this glory?

Paul desired to be found in Christ, but not with his own righteousness of which he was thoroughly tired. He wanted to know the power of the resurrection of Christ—the resurrection life in those who believe. This power of the resurrection is the Holy Spirit, and by suffering in the flesh in the power of the Spirit, we cease from sin. Then we attain to the salvation in the body, just as Israel conquered the Promised Land. We are being conformed to His death. This is a death over the passions and desires in our body. This corresponds to Israel’s victory over the enemies in the land. Jesus has now consecrated this new and living way, a way that so few people know.

The heroes of faith in the old covenant suffered and fought for a lesser calling than ours in the new covenant. Should we give in to sin, we who have such a calling and such promises? No! We read as follows in Hebrews 12: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patience in the battle that is before us.” We are in a battle when we are tempted. But by faithfully suffering in the flesh, we will enter into rest. It is not the intention that we should be tempted by the same thing year after year. Not at all! We enter into rest as the life of Christ occupies more and more “territory” in us. And when we think of Jesus, He who intercedes for us, and of the entire spiritual world that we read about in Hebrews 12:22-24, we have no excuse.

When Israel was about to conquer the land, Joshua and Caleb, together with the other spies, saw that the land was full of enemies; but Joshua and Caleb said, “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us.” Num. 14:8. But the people’s unbelief prevented them from entering in. This unbelief was, in fact, contempt for God who wanted to give them a land for their own possession after several hundred years of bondage in Egypt. They were forgiven for their unbelief, but they were not allowed to enter the land.

Let us learn from all this. Much can happen in our life in a very short time if only we have a living faith in God. The condition is full surrender and full devotion, what Paul calls “circumcision in the Spirit” in Romans 2:29. Such people’s praise is not from men, but from God. There has to be a radical separation between light and darkness in our lives, just as there was at the dawn of creation. Let us be in that small, faithful flock we read about in Revelation 19:7: “And His wife has made herself ready.” Here we read about the wedding day of the Lamb. Only a small number make themselves ready for this great day. We need to be quiet in our inner man so we can live this hidden life with Christ in God. And of all the glorious qualities that we find in Jesus life and in His nature, let us follow Him especially in His poorness of spirit and thirst for righteousness.

The Tabernacle of the Heart

The people of Israel were led safely and securely by the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony, by the cloud covering it by day and the appearance of fire by night. Num. 9:15-17.

In our days, in the dispensation of the new covenant, God wants to lead us by an inner tabernacle of the heart. There He has much to say to us. We read in Hebrews 10:22 that we first and foremost must “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” A true heart! It must be true that our whole longing is to live a heavenly life, acceptable to God. All the members of the body of Christ are there to serve each other. Therefore it must be true that we do not seek our own. God will raise up His tabernacle in our hearts. There He speaks to us about purity and faithfulness. God speaks in pure and faithful hearts. Then it is vital that we stay the course according to the words we hear in the tabernacle of our heart.

Many people have heard this inner voice, but they do not manage to stay the course in life’s circumstances. Therefore they rely on those who have this inner tabernacle in their heart and who can hear. We cannot abide in this heavenly tabernacle if we seek our own.

Concerning the tabernacle of the old covenant, God said to Moses, “And there I will meet with you . . . .” Ex. 25:22. In the tabernacle we can hear the words, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Pet. 1:16. What an encouragement that is to live a God-fearing life!

“Keep your heart with all diligence . . . .” Prov. 4:23-27. If something impure enters your heart, it will sooner or later manifest itself in your life. “Put perverse lips far from you . . . .” It is a shame if lies or unrighteousness in money matters cling to a brother or sister who, according to the time, should be more advanced in the fear of God. “Do not turn to the right or the left . . . .” Do not turn aside! For example, a person is very weak when he is flattered. Then it is easy to turn aside even to the point that he cannot hear God’s voice in his heart any more.

Asaph says in Psalm 73:21-22 that when his heart was bitter he understood nothing. You can never speak aright about God or about God-fearing people with bitterness in your heart. God-fearing souls are led by God’s counsel; they live in intimate fellowship with their Lord and Master. They are a temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19. There is no bitterness in this temple, no dissatisfaction, nothing evil, and no bad thoughts. Such “temples” live in God’s presence, and they increase in mutual fellowship. They are joined together and grow into a holy temple in the Lord to be a habitation of God in the Spirit. Eph. 2:20-22. We cannot build the church if we do not have this connection with the Lord and with each other. Most people do not live in the presence of the Lord and do not experience this blessing in the tabernacle of their heart.

Concerning the true “tabernacle Christians” we read so blessedly: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23.

The exhortation in James 4:8 is, “Draw near to God.” We must draw near to Him if we are to hear His voice. We need to draw near to God consciously in our daily life. Then we will hear His words, His words to us about ourselves and what we must do. “He who overcomes” is the Spirit’s message to the church. Read Revelation 2 and 3. Let us lay hold of faith in a victorious life! Let us bind our minds to the word about victory!

When Paul came face to face with the Corinthians’ folly and stubbornness, his heart was wide open. He learned to do that in the tabernacle of his heart. He did not react like many people do who say, “Oh, is that how it is in the church?” And then they close their hearts.

A Life Before God’s Face

“Walk before Me and be blameless.” That was the command Abram received when God made a covenant with him and gave him the promise of becoming a blessing to many nations. “Then Abram fell on his face . . . .” Gen. 17:1-4. He realized that this calling and this election was pure grace and not something he deserved. Every God-fearing person throughout the ages—those who have walked before God’s face—has had the same understanding.

If we walk before God’s face, we will inevitably become acquainted with the Lord’s loving chastisement in our life. In our days, too, our calling is to walk blamelessly before His face. We must not have anything that bothers our conscience, something from which we have not cleansed ourselves.

We can only be a blessing to others if we walk blamelessly before God’s face. Then we do not work to assert ourselves, to shine before people’s face. Not at all! Then our sincere desire is just to help people, and we cannot help anyone if we do not have an inner, hidden life with Christ in God.

Our life can only be a great blessing for the others if the death of Christ is working in our ministry. Only then will we experience growth and development in love—a continual growth in the good. Many people have received great grace for the ministry, but they do not use it to enter into the life about which they speak so beautifully. When we read Paul’s testimony (for example, in 2 Corinthians 6 where he writes about his ministry) we can see that it was not a question of the gifts of the Spirit; he was only concerned with the life: with purity, longsuffering, goodness, etc. We must have a life before God’s face if we are to serve people. Then it doesn’t matter at all whether the ministry we have is visible or invisible. It is carried out before God’s face, and there will be fruit from such a ministry. If this is not so, our entire ministry is in vain as far as our own person is concerned, and actually also for those whom we want to serve.

In Isaiah 50 we read about the tongue of a disciple who can refresh the weary with his words, and about a disciple’s ear that is awakened every morning to hear as disciples hear. You have received a blessed ministry if you can refresh the weary and speak to edification, exhortation, and comfort. Then you are anointed, and a blessed spirit will be with you. But it will cost your self-life.

“Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.” 1 John 2:24. And what was it that we heard from the beginning? We heard about eternal life, that which was revealed through the Son. This is the life that must now become visible in us. What good is it to make great speeches if no one senses our brotherly love, our warmth, and our goodness? When we humbly esteem each other higher than ourselves, we will have no desire to “throw someone off balance.”

God will pay attention to the person who serves out of a love for the church, and his ministry will become more and more anointed.

In 1 John 2:7-8 we read about an “old commandment” which becomes a “new commandment” for us if we live before God’s face. When we in life’s situations realize that we have reached our limits, then the old commandment can become new to us. Such faithful souls are able to bring forth new and old of what they have, as we read in Matthew 13:52.

The Humble Receive Grace

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Pet. 5:5. These are clear instructions. This is a main law in God’s kingdom. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time . . . .” V. 6. God’s mighty hand encompasses everything we meet in life. We are to humble ourselves under this hand and not murmur and complain. All sin, all murmuring and complaining is rooted in pride and arrogance.

In Philippians 2 we can read about how Jesus conducted Himself. When we read that He humbled Himself and was obedient until death, this doesn’t just refer to when He was on the way to the cross on Calvary. He humbled Himself in daily life. He bore His cross each single day. This is clearly indicated in Luke 9:23. It is also clearly written in Matthew 23:12: “And whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” It is God’s grace that comes over us when we have an opportunity to humble ourselves. The greatest exaltation we can experience is to be along when Jesus fetches His bride. We read in Proverbs 29:23 that a person’s pride will cause him to fall. We have seen many examples of this as a warning.

Everything will fall apart if we do not lay hold of humility even if we have been zealous for God. We will become self-righteous and obstinate if we cannot submit to each other and serve each other in humility. God-fearing people are repelled by such people.

In Romans 10:1-2 we read about some who were zealous for God, but who lacked discernment. Only the humble learn to be discerning, only those who give up themselves and their pride. Yes, all of us should declare “personal bankruptcy.” Should that really be so difficult when we consider who we actually are? A person without God is like dust. “The sons of men are all lies.” Ps. 62:9. Only God can lead us to something significant. Everything is by God’s grace. How foolish and utterly rejectable it is to have any high thoughts about yourselves. We must immediately reject any such thoughts if they should arise in us. We are unfaithful if we don’t do it.

In Romans 12:3 we read that we are to think soberly, according to our measure of faith. That is humility. You will not find self-righteousness and obstinacy in such people; on the contrary, there is a pleasant spirit in them, and it is good to be together with them. The Pharisees were like whitewashed graves because of their self-righteousness; they were in opposition to their Creator because of their pride.

David was called a man according to God’s heart. It took an abundance of grace to come into such a relationship with God. But then David was also abundantly humble, which was the reason he received such grace over his life. Saul, on the other hand, had a totally different attitude. There is much of Saul’s attitude in this world. We can see that as soon as someone comes into a position of leadership; this self-importance, self-righteousness, and obstinacy will quite often appear.

The person who is flexible and pliable is in a good state. Humility makes life simple and easy to live. Then we are not busybodies in other people’s matters and are on guard against pride and arrogance.

Insight into the Mystery of Christ

It is an inconceivable grace that God wants to give us insight into the mysteries of Christ; among others, the one that Paul mentions in Ephesians 3:1-6, that we are joint heirs and are part of the body, the body of Christ, and are partakers of eternal promises. We read in Chapter 2:11-16 that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. That is because God sent His Son and condemned sin in the flesh; it was the same flesh whether it was of the Jew or the Gentile. Rom. 8:3. Then the law no longer has any significance, for it was given because of sin in the flesh. Thus He created in Himself “one new man from the two, thus making peace.” Now the Holy Spirit wants to do the same work in us that God did in Christ by condemning sin in the flesh.

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks . . . .” Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. The flesh can be kept crucified, and the body of sin can be destroyed by this Spirit. Rom. 6:6. Not many people have insight into these mysteries. Without having this understanding, it is impossible to fulfill Jesus’ high priestly prayer that we might all be one. It is only possible to be one in the body of Christ. And why is this so hidden to most people? Because they seek their own! Seeking your own is in direct opposition to the laws of the body. None of the members of the body exist for their own sake, but for the others’ sake. Therefore no one who seeks his own can build the church. We have witnessed that a few individuals have sought their own, but these strong spirit powers have been put out of action, though not without a fight, not without prayer and the fear of God.

When we read that we have been baptized by one Spirit, then we should know that this is the Spirit of truth. Then we get to know the truth about ourselves; we get to see that we do what we hate and that we need cleansing in Jesus’ blood. In Colossians 3:11, ff., we see that God has brought us together as different as we are. In fellowship with each other we are sure to discover that something rises up in our flesh and that we need cleansing in order to continue to walk in the light and have fellowship with each other. If we understand to work out our salvation, we will experience that Christ is increasingly becoming all and in all, as we read in verse 11. In verse 12 we read about Jesus’ servant’s garment: “Tender [sincere] mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.” Everything becomes sincere, heart-felt, and from the heart. We can build the church by wearing such a servant’s garment.

“That those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Cor. 5:15. Then we serve our fellow men, but according to Jesus’ instructions. Paul could have written that we shall live for our fellow men, but he chose to write, “for Him.” The reason is that a natural human being is weak and can easily come into bondage to man. But if we serve Him by living for the others, then it doesn’t matter what others think about us.

Living Faith

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God . . . .” Jas. 1:5. Of course, then we must first and foremost acknowledge our lack of wisdom so that our prayer can be a prayer from the depths of our heart. And then we read further: “But let him ask in faith.” V. 6. Doubt is double-mindedness. The least amount of doubt lets darkness seep into our lives. “But who can bear a broken spirit?” Prov. 18:14. The flame of faith drives all darkness away. We push God aside through doubt and unbelief and assume the entire burden ourselves. Thus the burden becomes heavier and heavier and darker and darker. And under this satanic influence one is apt to imagine that the others’ sins loom so large whereas our own seem so insignificant by comparison. Only by binding our mind firmly to God’s Word are we delivered from the soul’s ups-and-downs. We become established in the faith, established in the good. “A merry heart does good, like medicine . . . .” Prov. 17:22. It does a person good to be together with such joyful people, because they are not obstinate and unapproachable.

God is full of love and care for His creation. In His love He makes everything turn out well for those who love Him. In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” And in 1 Corinthians 10:13 we read that He watches that we are never tempted or tried above our ability. And if we pray to Him for the Holy Spirit, we will also receive the Holy Spirit. If we pray for wisdom, we will receive wisdom. He does not give us stones when we ask Him for bread. All of us have some burdens to bear, but through a living faith in God, His goodness, and His power, the burden will be easy to bear.

We read about Abraham: “He did not waver at [doubt] the promise of God through unbelief . . . .” God’s promise to us is the promise of partaking of divine nature. Doubting God’s promises is the same as making Him a liar, which is extremely unjust. In Colossians 1:22 we read, “To present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight . . . .” But we read the condition in the next verse. “If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard . . . .”

In Chapter 12 of Ecclesiastes the Preacher portrays with many illustrations how the end phase of a person’s life can appear. In verse 7 he says, “And the spirit will return to God who gave it.” The intention is that during our life’s sojourn our spirit should become strong, be made alive, and be filled with eternal treasures—filled by Him who fills all in all. At the end of their lives most people have a spirit that is filled with earthly and perishable things. Jesus committed a spirit into His Father’s hands that was pure, undefiled, and filled with all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This can occur with us as well on the way of sanctification. On this way, in trials and tribulations, we learn to know God’s goodness. We will experience that God’s goodness is behind everything.

It is only in the fear of God that we can receive anything from God. Without this fear of God we will remain the same even if we serve the others.

In Hebrews 9:9, ff., we read that the time of reformation (when everything will be restored to what it should be) will come. We can be perfect according to our conscience; yet this does not mean that we shouldn’t or couldn’t receive more light. The area of our conscience must be constantly enlarged. When Paul cried out, “O wretched man that I am!” it was because he got to see himself in a constantly increasing light. In this fear of God we learn to humble ourselves while serving the others instead of becoming great through our ministry.

It is easy to judge our brother in an area in which the light of our conscience is greater than his. We must be on guard against that. We should rather give the other person the Word of life so he can receive help to come to more light. There is very much hardness in our nature. That must be cleansed away, as we read in 1 Peter 1:22: “Purify your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, and love one another fervently with a pure heart.” Yes, sincere love! It takes much crushing in our life for this sincerity and this heartiness to appear and become our nature.

We read that good servants in the church obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness. In this “great boldness” it is easy to depart from the fear of God and say all kinds of things without really considering how it is being received; such a person does not find the deeds of the body that should have been committed into the death of Christ. And how is it with your thought life? Do we have rest in our thought life and the purity that is necessary for the Holy Spirit to be able to speak to us and give us wisdom?

God has prepared the works for us. They are not always easy to find because they are so small and seemingly insignificant. We will not find them if we are too high up. We need to have zeal in our daily life and in our ministry. But not only zeal! We also need humility. We can ruin much on our way if we are zealous without being humble.

Serve the Living God

There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions about what it means to serve God. People usually think about being a preacher or some other special, visible ministry. However, we receive a clear understanding of what it means to serve God when we think of God’s command to Abraham: “Walk before Me and be blameless.” When we walk before God’s face, we increase in the good, and then it doesn’t matter whether we are rich or poor, slave or free, man or woman. Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians 7:20 is, “Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.” In Colossians 3:23 we read, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” This is an exhortation that concerns all of us: employers or employees; supervisors or subordinates, etc. Everyone, in whatever position he is, must fear God and keep His commandments and live his life before God’s face for His pleasure.

When it concerns our words, our goal with what we say must always be to be pleasing to God. Ephesians 4:29 must be our guideline: no corrupt communication; only necessary edification; words that profit the listeners. All of us ought to be aware of a need in our hearts when we come together so we can say something that is beneficial. And if the conversation goes off on a tangent, we can be switchmen who, in all goodness and in a peaceful way, bring the conversation back on to an edifying track.

Backbiting is the worst of any corrupt communication, and backbiters cause great harm; they are the worst of the lot. Read Romans 14:10, ff., where we are reminded (among other things) that we will have to appear before God’s judgment seat, and each one will have to give account for himself. Many people could have been among us and rejoiced in fellowship with us if they hadn’t begun to be busybodies in other people’s matters, but rather showed respect and lived before God’s face.

Many people would like to be servants of the Lord, but they are not sufficiently humble to find the works that God has prepared for them right in front of their feet. We only find these prepared works if we have the others and their best in mind.

Jesus warns powerfully against hypocrisy. In Matthew 6, ff., we find expressions such as: “Charitable deeds before men to be seen by them”; “That they may have glory from men”; “That they may be seen by men.” This is an abomination before God, and it must also be an abomination in our eyes. Conducting yourself in a manner to be seen by men can have various manifestations; for example, when you acquire something, purchase something or do not purchase something. In the midst of all this a person likes to appear pious and dominate others and rule over them, also by appearing to be pious. Everyone must be given the liberty that has been given him in the body of Christ, and no one has the right to take it away from him.

All this will come into order when we learn to live before God and not before men. We must also live before God in what we do for others and never come into bondage to man.

The Refiner’s Fire and the Launderer’s Soap

“And this is the condemnation [judgment], that the light has come into the world . . . .” John 3:19. The prince of darkness was cast out by this judgment and this light; all darkness was conquered. God has done great things for us. In the church we are being exhorted by God’s mercy, as Paul writes in Romans 12:1, and the Word comes with judgment over all the spirits of pride. Therefore, by God’s grace, a strong spirit of unity rules among us. All the spirits of pride must continue to be opposed in each and every one of us as well as in our churches. People are very weak, and it usually doesn’t take very much exaltation before a person becomes great in his own eyes. Therefore we need all this fire and cleansing that we read about in Malachi 3:2 so that we become pure as gold (verse 3) and can offer to the Lord an “offering in righteousness.”

Most believers do not have a sense for this deeper cleansing. However, this fire and soap also need to enter into our thought life. The acid test is the area (for example) that has to do with unchastity and all immorality. There is many an honorable person outwardly who soils his thought life in the hidden.

God’s Word is like a two-edged sword that pierces through. We must rejoice that we have come under the treatment of the Word. The Word judges our human strength; we become small in ourselves. It judges the thoughts and intents of the heart—also many thoughts, which we perhaps thought were right and good. When the searchlight of the Word is concentrated on them, we are sure to be dismayed many times. In John 3:19 we read that this is the judgment that has come into the world.

In Genesis 6:5 we read about the people in the times of Noah, that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. Their thoughts were led by the prince of darkness. It is the same in our days. Most people are guided by negative and destructive thought patterns. Depression and despair rules over so many people; for example, reproachful thoughts or thoughts of doubt that cause restlessness.

However, through the gospel we have an opportunity to enter into a totally new thought world, to receive new, blessed thoughts—thoughts that are full of comfort and peace; good, edifying thoughts; thoughts that have a blessed effect on our surroundings; thoughts of faith. For example, read the blessed thoughts that are described in Philippians 4:8. If we meditate on this, as we are exhorted to do, it will become like this in us. When a person dwells on that which is negative, he himself will become negative, and others will experience him as a negative person. In verses 6 and 7 we are exhorted to have fellowship with God in prayer so that the peace of God can preserve our thoughts in Christ. Let us hold fast to faith. We have come to faith in the hope of the gospel. It is a salvation that penetrates the very depths of our being, a salvation from the things from which the law could not save us, a salvation from indwelling sin—to become free indeed. John 8:36. We become free to receive a continually larger “breathing space” in which we can frolic in God and in the virtues of Christ. Let us hold fast to this faith!

First Tested, Then Serve

Paul testified to the Christians in Thessalonica that he did not seek to please men but “God who tests our hearts.” 1 Thess. 2:4. We should know that before God can entrust anyone with anything of significance, He will test their hearts, especially in the area that has to do with seeking the honor of man. In 1 Timothy 1:12 Paul thanks God who made him strong because He considered him faithful and put him into the ministry. The hidden manna, which God gives to those who overcome, is what made Paul strong. Receiving strength from this hidden manna is the result of many years of faithfulness. Concerning servants in the church it says in 1 Timothy 3:10 that they must first be tested, being found blameless. God does the testing. He allows the individual to come into situations and circumstances which reveal whether the person concerned is faithful or not.

We should pay good attention to Jesus’ words in John 5:44: “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” One could just as well say, “How can you be saved? For all salvation is by faith.” When it concerns the honor of man, praise of man, being someone or being exalted, a person is unspeakably weak. It is as if every fiber in the body cries out for honor. We need to come to a deep acknowledgment of our own nature and a thorough hatred of this injustice (which it really is) of receiving honor from man.

All the heroes of faith in the Old as well as the New Testament have been tried in the fiery oven of humility. There was a reason Joseph was able to feed so many. He was thoroughly tested before he was entrusted with such a ministry.

Paul wrote to the Galatians: “For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” And while he wrote to the Philippians about Timothy and his tested faithfulness, he had to say about so many others that they “all seek their own.” Seeking your own, seeking to please men, receiving honor from men are all one and the same. Then a person does not seek the things that pertain to Christ Jesus.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warns against false prophets whom he compares to ravenous wolves. A very apt description, because a wolf has nothing to give; he only takes. You can also notice that in conversation with such people; they have noting to give.

The Ruler of This World Is Judged

Noah was someone whom God could warn. He had a godly fear and was in tune with God’s workings. And in this godly fear he built an ark for the salvation of his house. Heb. 11:7. He was a preacher of righteousness. We also need this preaching of righteousness in our days, which is a powerful preaching against the spirit of the world and all sin.

The person who is a genuine Christian, a follower of Christ, should not be surprised to meet opposition and contempt, even hatred, from the world. That is plainly written in John 15:19: “Therefore the world hates you.” And in Chapter 16:11 we read about the ruler of this world, the devil: “The ruler of this world is judged.” About Jesus we read that He disarmed principalities and powers and triumphed over them on the cross. Col. 2:14-15. On the cross we also can triumph over the powers of darkness, over everything that has already been judged.

We read in Chapter 3:17 that everything we do we shall do in the name of the Lord Jesus. We are to please Him. We are to seek His pleasure! How fateful and foolish it is to follow the spirit of the world and seek to please people and things that are already judged!

There is a tremendous battle going on between the Holy Spirit and the spirit of the times. Everyone has to choose to which spirit he wants to submit. You do not believe if you want to balance out the spirit of the times with the Spirit that is in the church. If you believe, you will break with the spirit of the times and no longer take part in the course of this world where they fight for honor and power and pomp and glory.

We read that whatever we do, we shall do in Jesus’ name. If what we do is influenced by and driven by the spirit of the times, it has already been judged. Then we have been drawn into the territory of the ruler of darkness—he who has already been judged. Then we have entered the territory about which we read the following words: “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:21.

In 1 Timothy 2:8-10 Paul addresses men and women in the assembly. The men are exhorted to oneness and a holy conduct. And to the women he has a special exhortation about modest apparel. Every God-fearing woman will understand what is modest for those who “confess godliness.” Many of them are so attracted by the spirit of the world that makes it important for them to dress provocatively and immodestly; they totally disregard what God’s Spirit has to say about this matter. Such people have no sense for what it means to “veil yourself for your heavenly Bridegroom.”

We would also recommend that you read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 and follow these exhortations. And in Chapter 7 we read this important exhortation: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness [sanctification] in the fear of God.”

Arild Tombre