"The
servant of the Lord must not strive (2 Tim. 2:24). In seeking to
lead a holy, blameless life, I have been helped at one point by the
advice of two men and the example of two others.
1.
- COMMISSIONER DOWDLE
Some
years ago, in Boston, I attended an "all-night of prayer."
It was a blessed time, and scores of people sought the blessing of a
clean heart that night. The Scriptures were read, many prayers were
offered, many songs were sung, many testimonies and exhortations were
given; but of all the many excellent things said that night, there is
only one I now remember: that burned itself into my memory never to
be forgotten. Just before the meeting closed, Commissioner Dowdle,
speaking to those who had been to the Penitent-form, said, "Remember,
if you want to retain a clean heart, don't argue!" There were
twenty years of practical holiness behind that advice, and it fell on
my ears like the voice of God.
2.
- PAUL OF TARSUS
In
writing to young Timothy, the aged Apostle poured out his heart to
one he loved as a son of the Gospel. He sought to fully instruct him
in the truth, so that, on the one hand, Timothy might escape all the
snares of the devil, and walk in holy triumph and fellowship with
God, and thus save himself; and, on the other hand, be "thoroughly
equipped" (2 Tim. 3:17) to instruct and train other men, and to
save them. Among other earnest words, these have deeply impressed me:
"Of these things put them in remembrance ... that they strive
not about words, to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers
(2 Tim. 2:14). I take it that Paul means by this, that instead of
arguing with people and so losing time, and maybe temper, we are to
go right for their hearts, and do our best to win them for Christ,
and get them converted and sanctified.
Again,
he says: "But avoid foolish and senseless questions, knowing
that they do gender strife. And the servant of the Lord must not
strive; but be gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness
instructing those that oppose themselves" (2 Tim. 2:23-25).
Plainly, the Apostle thought this advice important for he repeats it
in writing to Titus (3:9): "Avoid foolish questions, and
genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for they
are unprofitable and vain." I am certain that Paul is right in
this. It takes fire to kindle fire, and it takes love to kindle love.
Cold logic will not make a man love Jesus, and it is only he that
loves that "is born of God" (I John 4:17).
3.
- MARQUIS DE RENTY
We
who have had the Gospel taught us in such simplicity and purity can
scarcely realize the awful darkness through which some men have had
to struggle, even in so-called Christian countries, to find the true
light.
Some
hundred years ago, among the luxurious and licentious nobility of
France, and in the midst of the idolatrous forms and ceremonies of
the Roman Catholic Church, the Marquis de Renty attained a purity of
faith and a simplicity of life and character and a cloudless
communion with God that greatly adorned the Gospel, and proved a
blessing, not only to the people of his own community and age, but to
many people of succeeding generations. His social position. his
wealth and his great business ability led to his being associated
with others in various enterprises of a secular and religious
character, in all of which his faith and godly sincerity shone with
remarkable lustre.
In
reading his life a few years ago, I was struck with his great
humility, his sympathy for the poor and ignorant and his zealous,
self-denying efforts to instruct and save them, his diligence and
fervour in prayer and praise, and his constant hungering and
thirsting after all the fullness of God. But what impressed me as
much, or more, than all the rest was the way he avoided all argument
of any nature, for fear he should grieve the Holy Spirit and quench
the light in his soul. Whenever matters of a business or religious
nature were being discussed, he carefully thought the subject over,
and then expressed his views, and the reasons on which he based them,
clearly, fully and quietly, after which, however heated the
discussion might become, he declined to be drawn into any further
debate whatever. His quiet, peaceful manner, added to his clear
statements, gave great force to his counsels. But whether his views
were accepted or rejected, he always went to his opponents afterward
and told them that, in expressing sentiments contrary to their own,
he acted with no intention of opposing them personally, but simply
that of declaring what seemed to him to be the truth.
In
this he seems to me to have been closely patterned after "the
meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:1), and his
example has encouraged me to follow a like course, and so "keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3), when
otherwise I should have been led into wranglings and disputes which
would have clouded my soul and destroyed my peace, even if the Holy
Spirit were not utterly driven from my heart.
4.
- JESUS
The
enemies of Jesus were constantly trying to entangle Him in His words,
and involve Him in arguments, but He always turned the subject in
such a way as to confound His ides and take every argument out of
their mouths.
They
came to Him one day (Matt. 12) and asked whether it was lawful to pay
tribute to Caesar or not. Without any discussion whatever, He asked
for a coin. He then asked whose image was on the coin. "Caesar's,"
they replied. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and
to God the things that are God's," said Jesus.
Again,
they brought to Him a woman taken in adultery. His loving heart was
touched with compassion for the poor sinner; but instead of arguing
with her captors as to whether she should be stoned or not, He simply
said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a
stone at her" (John 8:7). And the whole crowd of hypocrites were
so convicted and baffled by His simplicity, that they sneaked out one
by one till the sinner was left alone with her Saviour. And so, all
through the Gospels, I fail to find Jesus engaged in argument, and
His example is of infinite importance to us.
It
is natural to the "carnal mind" to resent opposition. But
we are to be "spiritually-minded." By nature we are proud
of our persons and vain of our opinions, and we are ready to stoutly
resist him who sets himself against either us or our principles. Our
object at once is to subdue him - by force of argument or force of
arms, but by some means subdue him. We are impatient of
contradiction, and are hasty in judging men's motives and condemning
all who do not agree with us. And then we are apt to call our haste
and impatience "zeal for the truth," when, in fact, it is
often a hotheaded, unkind and unreasoning zeal for our own way of
thinking. Now, I am strongly inclined to believe that this is one of
the last fruits of the carnal mind which grace ever subdues.
But
let us who have become "partakers of the Divine nature" (2
Pet. 1:4) see to it that this root of the carnal nature is utterly
destroyed. When men oppose us, let us not argue nor revile nor
condemn, but lovingly instruct them - not with an air of superior
wisdom and holiness, but with meekness, solemnly remembering that
"the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle to all
men, apt to teach, patient" (2 Tim. 2:23-25).
I
find that often, after having plainly, fully and calmly stated my
views to one who is opposing the truth as I see it, I am strongly
tempted to strive for the last word; but I also find that God blesses
me most when I there commit the matter into His hands, and by so
doing I most often win my adversary. I believe this is the way of
faith and the way of meekness. While it may seemingly leave us
defeated, we generally in the end win our foe. And if we have true
meekness, we shall rejoice more over having won him to an
"acknowledging of the truth" (2 Tim. 2:25) than in having
won an argument.
By
Samuel Logan Brengle
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