Responsibility - Chapter Five

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The Responsibility of Church Relationship
by H. Frank Fort

Lesson 5

Righteous Judgment

Today we consider the significance of "righteous judgment" (John 7:24) as related to the differences among God's people. The truth reveals that there are differences, but it also reveals that the spiritually minded evidence that state of mind by having "the mind of Christ" in regard to them. Notice first what God commands:

1) "That ye all speak the same thing." (I Cor. 1:10)

2) "The members should have the same care one of another." (I Cor. 12:25)

3) "Be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." (Phil. 2:2)

4) "Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing." (Phil. 3:16)

Now God who requires this is "no respecter of persons." (Acts 10:34) The impositions He made as to the four things above, He has made upon all alike who profess to be submissive to His Lordship. He has said, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)

When Paul wrote "that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind," (Phil. 2:2) he added, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 2:5) What was it? "Christ pleased not himself," (Rom. 15:3) that is, he "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many," (Matt. 20:28) and thus it is written, "The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me." (Rom. 15:3) Thus Paul said,

"We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." (Rom. 15:1-2)

If one has the spirit of Christ toward others in the body, then, "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it." (I Cor. 12:26) In other words, there is concern in the heart for the state of others. It is written, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." (Rom. 12:15)

Now if I am to be of a spiritual stature so as to be able to rejoice with them that rejoice, I must first be able to "cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (II Cor. 10:5) Surely "he that ruleth his spirit (is better) than he that taketh a city." (Prov. 16:32)

1) Now notice the attitude essential to rejoicing in the good things which come to others. "I say...to

every man among you (the body of Christ) not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." (Rom. 12:3) He who does this is able to "be of the same mind one toward another." He will "mind high things, but condescend to men of low estate." (Rom. 12:16)

One who considers others of the brotherhood beneath their dignity, has not learned the lesson of Rom. 12:3. Where we are "kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love," it is an easy matter then to be found "in honor preferring one another." (Rom. 12:10) If "the lowliness of mind" which the knowledge of self and of the glory of God will effect is present, then such will "each esteem other better than themselves," and it will cause us to "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others," (Phil. 2:3-4) and so rejoice in the prosperity of others, as John prayed for his friend Gaius. (II John 2)

2) We will be able to sympathize with the sorrow of others when we are sincere in our efforts to help in that sorrow. Paul could say of some "ye had compassion of me in my bonds," (Heb. 10:34) that is, they were affected by that which affected Paul. This is the spirit of our Lord, of whom it is written, "In all their affliction he was afflicted." (Is. 63:9) Paul said, "We are laborers together with God." (I Cor. 3:9)

We read in Judges 5:23 where the inhabitants of Meroz were cursed "because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty." This is an astounding statement. God works through men in blessing His people. Christ laid down the rule that obedience to His words was to the end "that your joy might be full." (John 15:11)

Such joy stands related to the life by which Christ said "herein is my Father glorified." (John 15:8) But what do we have to do with that? Paul answers, "We...are helpers of your joy." (II Cor. 1:24) Again, "the church...is the pillar and ground of the truth." (I Tim. 3:15) It's members are to dedicate their efforts to making the truth known around the world, and they who do it are called "fellowhelpers to the truth." (III John 8) Are we helpers or hinderers? There are many things which are my personal and natural responsibilities with which I ought not burden others, concerning which it is written, "every man shall bear his own burden." (Gal. 6:5) There are other responsibilities which I have in common with the others in the church as related to the "common faith," (Titus 1:4) concerning which it is written, "Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ," (Gal. 6:20) which is to "love one another." (Rom. 13:8) Concerning this John wrote, "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and

his love is perfected in us." (I John 4:12) Now "herein is our love made perfect...because as he is, so are we in this world." (I John 4:17)

Notice the two expressions:

a) "his love" in verse 12, and,

b) "our love" in verse 17.

When we obey the commandment to "keep ourselves in the love of God," (Jude 21) that means that we meet the conditions by which "his love is perfected in us," (I John 4:12) and thereby "is our love made perfect, (I John 4:17) and the result "as he is, so are we in this world," v. 17, will be evidenced in our attitude toward "the children of God." (I John 5:2) Now let us judge our attitude in this light. He loved, and loves us; do we love one another?

3) "Jesus...loved his own which were in the world." (John 13:1) John wrote, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us." (I John 3:16) "God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) Again, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Now what does Christ say? "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you," (John 15:12) and thus "as he is, so are we in this world." (I John 4:17)

4) He forgave us; do we forgive others? It is written, "forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Eph. 4:32) How does He forgive us? "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." (I John 1:9) Christ said to His disciples, "If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4) Let us ask ourselves, can we say as to our spirit of forgiveness, that "as he is, so are we in this world" "ready to forgive." (Ps. 86:5)

5) Our Lord had compassion on us. Do we have compassion on our brethren? The Psalmist wrote, "but thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." (Ps. 86:15) Who can forget the words of our Lord to Saul of Tarsus, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:4) referring to the suffering of His people as "Saul...made havoc of the church." (Acts 8:3) Truly in all their affliction, he was afflicted." Do we have a compassionate concern for others in their distress? If not, can we in truth say, "as he is, so are we in this world?"

6) Our Lord is merciful toward us; are we merciful toward one another? "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plentiful in mercy...as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him." (Ps. 103:8,11) Surely, if God who is of purer eyes than to behold evil" (Heb. 1:13) is "slow to anger" in regard to "our sins," (Ps. 103:10) we ought to be understanding toward our brethren when we know that in "many things we all offend." (James 3:2) Why are we so easily stirred to wrath against those who offend us when we know that we are subject to the same offenses? The answer is, we have forgotten the mercy of God toward us. Let us refresh our minds and "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn." (Is. 51:1) Can we in our mercy toward one another say, "as he is, so are we in this world?"

7) Are we comfort to one another, as our Lord comforts us? If not, are we not failing in this respect as "laborers together with God? Our God is not only "the Father of Mercies" but also "the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation." (II Cor. 1:3-4) God "comforteth those that are cast down." (II Cor. 7:6)

It is His will that as instruments of His righteousness we "comfort you concerning your faith," (I Thess. 3:2) "with these words" (I Thess. 4:18) "yourselves together." (I Thess. 5:11) Can we say that we have taken His words which produce faith and comforted ourselves together so as to prevent that discouragement which slows the zeal of God's people? If not, can we say in this respect "as he is, so are we in this world?"

The will of God for His church, in it's mission to the world, is that the members thereof recognize that they are to go together as "laborers together with God," who said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (II Cor. 6:16)

Let us as individuals in the church, determine to do nothing that will prevent its being "the temple of the living God" so that the worship will be acceptable, and let us be in our relationship one to another as such that recognize the value of a human being redeemed by the blood of the cross and determine that we shall do nothing that prevents the Lord's use of His own property. "Let us not be weary in well-doing, for we shall reap in due season if we faint not." (Gal. 6:4) The Lord of the harvest shall come and judge the fruit, and reward the laborers. May we labor in view of this.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"