Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The Cross and The Eternal Glory # 41

What We Have Come To (continued)

And the next thing in this letter is the conduct of this people. I just quoted or sighted the fragment: "Walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness" (Ephesians 4:1)  And then it makes some practical applications, husbands and wives, it has all got to come in there, and wives and husbands, children and parents, and parents and children, masters and servants, and servants and masters. Christians in the world. And in effect it is saying this, 'Look here, when you come among these people, these people have a testimony. And you have got to take on responsibility for that testimony and be loyal to the very vocation of this people. Come in and stand truly with them that in every relationship of life, in every connection of life, it might be seen that this is no ordinary people; this people is different, this is a heavenly people. You are taking on the conduct of this people.

Yes, it is true. Christians are different and their conduct and behavior is supposed to be different from all others; it should be on a very much higher level than others. And when we come  among this people, well, you may say, 'It is all different, it is all strange,' but I venture to say, that it was not very long, if it was long at all, before Ruth said, 'I do not know, but I feel more at home among these people than I did in my own country. I somehow rather feel these people are more my people than even my people among whom I was born. Somehow or rather I feel this to be more my family than even my natural family.'

Now is that true Christians? Is that not exactly what happens? It is not that we cease to love or be concerned for those of our relations who are outside of Christ; but somehow or other those inside of Christ have become our nearest relations. We feel more at home! And when we go back home to the unconverted relations we do not feel at home at all, we feel like strangers, is that not true? A people we knew not heretofore, we seem to know now better than we have ever known anyone else. We are at home.

I am sure that was true of Ruth. But that is a very blessed, wonderful reality, a wonderful reality. But, you see, it involves a responsibility. All right then, their interest must be my interest, "thy people shall be my people" (Ruth 1:16). Their interest must be my interest. Their testimony must be my testimony. I must be loyal. I must stand with them in what they stand for" vocation.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 42)

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