YEARLY RECKONINGS-SPIRITUAL ACCOUNTS.
“Many, O Lord
my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to
usward: they can not be reckoned up in order unto thee; if I would
declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”-Psalm
40:5.
BUSINESS MEN are at
great expense to secure accuracy in their accounts. Millions of dollars are
spent every year in details of bookkeeping, an important part of which is to
enable proprietors to know definitely upon which items of their business there
is a profit, and upon which there is a loss,-to the intent that the profitable
branches may be increased, and the unprofitable ones corrected. This is
admittedly a wise procedure.
If the case be such with those who are seeking temporal wealth and its
honors, how much more careful accounting should be attempted in connection with
spiritual matters! The Lord’s people are not merely seeking for wealth, which
will last for a few years, and then must be parted with-at the tomb, if not
sooner;-they are seeking for the riches which perish not, and which thieves do
not break into and steal. More than this, with the heavenly riches they are
assuredly seeking also heavenly honors and glories- even joint-heirship with
the King of kings and Lord of lords, in the Millennial Kingdom, and in the
glorious opportunities which it will bring in connection with the promised
blessing of all the families of the earth.
The general settlement day with the world is at the close of the old year,
and the beginning of a new one, but with the Church an equally appropriate
occasion, or, indeed, a still more appropriate one, comes with the annual
remembrancer of our Lord’s death as our Passover Lamb-and of our participation
with him in his sacrifice; and in the Easter celebration of his resurrection,
and of our figurative rising with him to walk in newness of life-in prospect of
the actual resurrection in which, if faithful, we shall be changed in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, to be like our glorious Redeemer, to see him as he
is, and to share his glory.
Let us see how our spiritual accounts stand for the year past-since last
we broke together the emblems of our Redeemer’s sacrifice and of our own
participation with him. Let us note whether or not the year’s experiences have
brought us nearer to the Lord, or have in any measure separated us from the
warmth of his love and fellowship, and from fellowship with fellow members of
his body. Every year should find us nearer to the Lord, not only in the
purposes of our hearts, but in the conduct of our lives,- nearer to the perfect
standard. We should be making progress, growing in all the graces of the
spirit, and growing also in our knowledge and appreciation of the Lord and of his
wonderful plan.
We trust that each reader, as he takes a conscientious view of the
situation, whichever way he feels that the balance stands (favorable or
unfavorable, as compared with a year ago), can nevertheless thank God that by
his grace we are what we are, and where we are;-still his, with hearts
striving for things of the spirit, and not for things of the flesh. If any
have slipped to some extent backward, let such thank the Lord that matters are
not worse than they are, that they have not wholly let go of his hand, and
relinquished their share in the exceeding great and precious promises of his
Word. Let them thank God that this day of reckoning and reviewing of accounts
finds them desirous of being on the Lord’s side, and making a better record
during the year before us. Let us look together at our text, and see if we
cannot join heartily with the Prophet in the sentiment expressed. He divides
the subject into two parts. (1) Thankfulness to God for his wonderful work of
grace already done or accomplished; and (2) for his thoughts, his plans, his
purposes, toward us, which are not yet accomplished, and which we have grasped
by his promises, with our arms of faith.
Looking back at the things that God already has done for us, we see that the
Prophet has defined some of these, saying, “He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and
established my goings.” (Verse 2.) If we can apply this heartily to ourselves,
what a cause it is for thankfulness. As we look about us, and see the whole
world lying in the Wicked One, without God and having no real hope,-merely
vague impressions-and when we look back and see how the Lord has delivered us
from the horrible pit of condemnation and sin, how he has had mercy upon us and
delivered us, and established our feet of faith upon the rock foundation,
Christ and his redemptive work, well may we give thanks, and tell his mercies
all abroad. Looking back we may see that happy day that fixed our choice upon
our Savior and our God, as being the time from which our goings have been established,-our
course no longer vacillating. It was there that we obtained a fixed purpose, a
ballast which has hindered us from being upset when tossed, hither and thither,
by the varying winds of philosophy and human speculation. Praise God for this
which he already has done for us! No wonder, as the Prophet proceeds to say,
we realize that “He has put a new song into our mouth,-even praise unto our
God.” The new song is not one of doubt or of fear, nor concerning anguish of
sinners; but a song of God’s Justice and Mercy and Love,-reasonable and
harmonious in its every cadence. Thank God! It has brought a new life to us;
a new pleasure in life, as well as new aspirations and new hopes for others as
well as for ourselves. We can never thank the Lord enough for the blessings
which we have already received at his hands,-for the things which he has
already done for us.
And yet the things that we already enjoy of the Lord’s favor we are
assured are but a foretaste of the blessings yet in reservation for them that
love him-blessings which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered
into the heart of man to see or appreciate, but which God hath lovingly
declared, and which we grasp by faith, seeing through a glass only obscurely,
as yet, the glory, honor and immortality promised to the faithful. What we now
have are not realities so much as promises and hopes. Present experiences being
but the beginning of our comfort, we agree with the Prophet, that the number of
God’s favors cannot be reckoned, computed. We are exceedingly his debtors; we
can never discharge the obligation. But then we are his children; he is
pleased to give us these things, and his request in return is that we
shall act toward him in such a manner as will betoken our gratitude, and that
we are indeed his offspring, begotten of his spirit.
Let us proceed in our calculation of present assets, and in our balancing
of the year; and let us not be content simply with generalities in the balance.
Let us retrospectively scrutinize the privileges and mercies enjoyed during the
year, and the use we made of them and the blessings we derived. Let us
carefully note which features of our daily course have been most helpful to us,
and which have to any extent retarded our spiritual progress, hindered our
fellowship with the Lord, prevented our running with patience or with best
results the race set before us in the Gospel. These items will necessarily
vary with each individual-for no two are alike in temperament or environment.
Each in his counting should weigh the advantages derived from fellowship and
communion with the Lord in prayer; and should determine whether or not this
feature of his spiritual interests could be advantageously expanded during the
beginning year.
Each should consider, also not merely how much time he had spent in talking
to the Lord, but also how much time he had spent in listening to the
Lord’s voice-in searching the Scriptures; in seeking to know the divine mind,
the divine plan, as it pertains to himself individually and to the Church and
to the world. Included in this matter of listening to the Lord’s voice, he
should reckon the helps to Bible study provided by the Lord through the
brethren, the members of the family, the members of the one body of
Christ;-remembering the statement of the Apostle, that God himself had set the
various members in the body as it hath pleased him; and that he set these
members for the very purpose of blessing one another, edifying the Church,
building it up in the most holy faith. True, we are to consider that the
Apostles were set first, foremost, and hence, that their teachings are
paramount; and that all other teachings are to be submitted to the test of
harmony with the testimonies of the apostles and the prophets.
If any, on reckoning up, shall find that they have not made such good
progress as they had hoped, or perhaps apparently less progress in the narrow
way, than some others about them, let them consider to what extent this failure
to progress was due to a failure to use the divinely appointed
means for growth in grace and knowledge and love;-namely, the Word and the
brotherhood. If the progress has not been so great as could be hoped, let
another point be examined: see whether or not you have been as active as was
possible in serving the truth. Consider that you have consecrated your entire
life to the Lord, and that by his direction it is to be laid down, sacrificed,
yielded up in the interest of his brethren, the Church. Consider, count,
reckon, whether or not you have been faithful in this matter of laying down
your life during the past year-faithful in serving the Church, the body of
Christ, to the best of your ability. Remember that it is a part of the Lord’s
provision, that he who watereth shall himself be watered, that he who serves
the truth to others may appropriate to himself the more abundantly at the
Lord’s table of grace and truth.
EXAMPLES OF PROPER COUNTING, VALUATION, ETC.
-----
In our counting let us take some hints and suggestions from the inspired
apostles; let us note how they counted matters and things-which matters they
set down to the profit account, and which to the loss account. Hearken to the
Apostle Paul’s words: “Neither count I my [earthly] life dear [precious,
valuable] unto me.” (Acts 20:24.) Again, “I count all things [earthly] but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Phil. 3:8.)
Paul’s estimation was not merely that the future glories were worthy of some
loss in the present time, but that even the knowledge of Christ
(including the knowledge of God’s grace toward us through him, and the
knowledge and consequent opportunities of running the race for the great
prize)-was alone worth the price; he estimated that the loss of all things, in
order to obtain this knowledge (and its opportunities), would be a great
bargain. Let us thank God if we have this good asset-a knowledge of Christ,-a
knowledge of his character, and a deep appreciation of it, a knowledge of the
plan which centers in him-no matter what it has cost us of earthly good; if we
have this knowledge, if to us he is precious, we are rich today, thank God!
The same Apostle proceeds to say that already he had suffered the loss of all
things and did “count them but dung,” that he might “win Christ, and be
found in him”-a member of his body.
A further suggestion as to how to count is found in the Apostle James’
words, “Count it all joy, when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing that
the trial of your faith worketh patience,” etc. (James 1:2.) No doubt, as each
looks back for a year, we see that there were numerous snares and temptations
in our pathway. Over some, no doubt, we gained victories, readily; others
perhaps we conquered with a severer struggle; and still others perhaps were
only partial victories,-they were partially reverses, partially victories for
our enemy.
What did these temptations bring us? What has been their value? One
value, as the Apostle suggests, is the lesson of forbearance. They proved to
us that we are still in the schooling time, in the testing time;-to demonstrate
our loyalty to the Lord, and our worthiness, through his merit, to a share in
his Kingdom. All wish frequently, no doubt, that the
testings were all over, and that we were accepted to a place amongst the
overcomers; but patience and faith and trust are to do a refining work in our
hearts, making us mellow, willing and obedient to the Lord. Let the good work
go on. Let us rejoice if our trials have brought us lessons of any kind that
are profitable to us,-that have tended to make us stronger in character, more
firm for truth and righteousness, more aware of our own weaknesses, and more on
guard against the same. Even those conflicts which have resulted in only
partial victories have possibly been to our advantage. Surely so, in
proportion as we contended earnestly against our weaknesses or against
the besetments of the Adversary. Even on points in
which there may have been absolute failure, the result may be a strengthening
of character, a crystallization of determination for greater zeal in that
direction again; and a humility of heart before the Lord in prayer,
which has caused us to remember the throne of grace afresh, and that thither we
may flee in every moment of temptation and find the succor which we need.
The Apostle Paul summed up his account, and balanced it, as follows: “I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us”-the faithful. (Rom. 8:18.) In
our reckoning, in our account for the year, let us similarly reckon the things
which we have suffered, whether they be few or many, small or great-whatever we
suffered for Christ’s sake, for righteousness’ sake, for the truth’s sake,-let
us rejoice therein, and endeavor for the coming year, to be so much more
faithful in all these respects, that it may be our high privilege of suffering
something further for the name of Christ, for his cause, and for his brethren.
As we reckon the profit and loss sides of the account for the year, let us
be thankful that amongst the shortcomings which all may have to deplore none of
us find one item of evil which the Apostle mentions; viz., none
of us “count the blood of the covenant, wherewith we were sanctified, an
unholy [ordinary] thing.” Thank God, we still appreciate the precious blood of
Christ; we still appreciate the fact that we are accepted, not in any merit or
worthiness of our own, but in him who loved us and who bought us with his own
precious blood. Oh, how much we have to be thankful for in this one feature of
our experience, even if, as we look back, we find that there have been
vacillations or slips or slidings in the pathway! How much we may thank the
Lord, that by his grace we still are what we are, and still have the
opportunity of persevering and running with renewed zeal and patience the race
set before us,-looking unto Jesus for our example.
HOW THE LORD IS ACCOUNTING
RESPECTING US.
-----
Finally, in our account of matters, let us take courage from the Lord’s
statement respecting how he counts things, and let us count accordingly. The
Apostle said himself, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for
that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” (I Tim.
1:12.) Ah, yes, what a blessed satisfaction it is to us to know that while the
Lord knows of our every word and every deed he is pleased to count us something
different, even from our words and our deeds-something better! Our words do not
always represent the full sentiments of our hearts; our conduct does not come
up to the standard: after the words have been spoken and after the deeds have
been done-perhaps to the very best of our ability-we realize that they have
come short of the glory of God, and short of our own ideals, desires and
efforts. How consoling it is to us, then, to know that our imperfect work
shall be acceptable through Christ to God; that the Lord counts us
according to our intentions, according to our wills. Praise his name! We
would have no hope of coming up to any standard of perfection which he would
approve, were it not for his gracious arrangement by which our imperfections
are covered by our Redeemer’s perfection and sacrifice, and our works accepted
according to the intentions and desires of our hearts.
The Apostle rejoiced that by the Lord’s counting him according to his
intentions, and not according to his deeds, he was counted worthy a place in
the ministry. Let us similarly rejoice, and let us remember that the word
“ministry” signifies service, and the word “minister” signifies servant. Let
us remember that all of the Royal Priesthood, all of the truly consecrated
Church of God, are ministers, servants of God and of each other. The Lord has
put us all into the ministry; and there is a ministry, a service of kindness
and of love toward the Lord, in honoring his name and declaring his
righteousness; and a ministry toward the brethren, in opening the eyes of their
understanding and enabling them to appreciate the lengths and breadths and
heights and depths of the Lord’s character. A share in this ministry belongs
to each one of us, and it is a great privilege. It is a ministry, or service
which, if neglected, or in proportion as neglected, brings us corresponding
loss in spiritual progress and character. Let us count this privilege a valuable
asset, to carry over into the new year, to be used with greater diligence than
ever in the service of our King.
The Apostle, in writing to the Church at Thessalonica (2 Thes. 1:5), says,
“That ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom for which ye also suffer.”
Ah, yes; this is more of the Lord’s counting. We are not worthy of the Kingdom
of God. No human being is worthy; but the Lord purposes to count his
faithful ones worthy. He will do this through the merit of his own great
atonement-sacrifice which permits the acceptance of our wills, our intentions,
as instead of the perfect works of righteousness. Thank God for this generous
accounting! Let it encourage us, and let us remember the Apostle’s statement
that those who will be counted of our Lord thus fit for the Kingdom, will be
such as suffer something for it. Let us then strive in a reasonable, rational
manner, according to the divine Word and plan, to suffer for the Kingdom’s
sake.
We are not to seek suffering in a foolish way, by doing foolish things.
We have no such example in our Lord’s case, nor in the case of the apostles.
It is not even necessary that we should suffer martyrdom or physical
persecution. Possibly the extent of our sufferings may be the wounding of our
feelings, when-“The workers of iniquity...whet their tongue like a sword, and
bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words, that they may shoot
in secret at the innocent.” (Psa. 64:3.) Perhaps our sufferings, even, will be
still less than this, as the Apostle explains (Heb. 10:33-35): “Partly whilst
ye were made a gazingstock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly
whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.” Let us
resolve to carry this good asset over into the new year, rejoicing that we have
been privileged thus far to suffer some little for the Lord’s sake and for the
sake of the truth, and in companionship with the brethren; heeding the
Apostle’s words, “Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath
great recompense of reward.” God wishes us to trust him according to his
promises, and will reward such faith.
We conclude this exhortation to spiritual accounting, by calling attention
to the Apostle’s words: “We pray always for you-that God would count you worthy
of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work
of faith with power.” (2 Thess. 1:11.) This is our prayer for you, beloved in
the Lord; and we trust also that this is your prayer for us. What more could
we ask than that the Lord would count us worthy of the great high-calling of
this Gospel age,-to joint-heirship with his Son in the Kingdom? We have his
assurance respecting the terms on which he will count us worthy. We realize
that the terms are very reasonable indeed, and that what we do sacrifice in
conforming to those terms would be really only as loss and dross to us, so long
as we were filled with a proper zeal for the Lord and his cause. And now
notice the Apostle’s words, that these good things which our heavenly Father has
called us to receive-to prove ourselves worthy of receiving, according to his
gracious terms in Christ-are not things which he offers us grudgingly, but
things which he is well pleased to bestow. There was a time, perhaps, with
each of us, when, under misinterpretations of the Lord’s Word, we supposed that
coldly and heartlessly, our Heavenly Father preferred not to give many
blessings, and would give them to but few, and to them in a grudging manner,
because impelled thereto by Jesus; and that for the great majority he had
determined, beforehand, that they should be delivered over to devils for an
eternity of misery. Thank God for a clearer opening of the eyes of our
understanding, by which now we may know him as our Father, and appreciate to
some extent his wonderful plan!
And, as respects our own share, let us settle it in our hearts that these
gracious things to which we are called are “all the good pleasure of his
goodness.” Let us start into the new year with good courage, remembering
that if God loved us while we were yet sinners, strangers, aliens, foreigners,
much more does he now love us since we have come into relationship with him
through Jesus Christ our Lord;-since we are seeking to walk, not after the
flesh, but after the spirit; since we are seeking to be copies of his dear Son,
our Lord; since we have been begotten by his holy spirit. Truly, faith may
confidently exclaim, “All things are ours, for we are Christ’s and Christ is
God’s!”