A Warning

The true brotherhood has been preserved for many years under the covering of reproach. This brotherhood came into existence because simple brothers longed for godliness, and they served each other in love, respect and thankfulness. The church has now grown. In many ways, it has become like a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.

Obviously, becoming so large and visible can have its own dangers. Now the church can be attractive for gifted people, who, because of their knowledge and abilities, can quickly comprehend the doctrine. Perhaps they have the word of wis­dom and the word of knowledge as spiritual gifts, but they lack love. If such people acquire power and become leaders in the church because of their spiritual gifts and earthly posi­tions, the church will be destroyed. It has never been that way among us, and we must be watchful that it does not happen. If people arise among us who have great spiritual gifts and who are gifted speakers but do not live the life they speak about, there must be brothers and sisters who can expose their de­ceit, so that such people do not gain power and confidence in the church because of their giftedness. If it should happen that they do gain power, it would be better that the church be completely destroyed than that it stand, deceiving people who want to come out of sin. Brother Sigurd Bratlie also had this on his heart when he spoke to the church at brother Elias Aslaksen’s funeral. “But,” he added, “I do not believe things will develop that way—I believe the church will remain stand­ing until Jesus takes us home.” I have exactly the same faith in my heart.

As the church grows and becomes known, many people might think we need a new type of leader—someone with education, leadership experience and a social profile that suits a high position and fits in with the world around us. Such criteria have never carried any weight in the church. God has always placed people in the church who have lived a God­fearing life—people who, because of their godliness and the life they live, gain confidence in the hearts of the friends. God sees the hidden things and chooses according to the calling He has given each individual and the godly fear and faithful­ness that individual manifests. He does not—as many people often do—allow Himself to be deceived by an outward glory. We can learn an eternal lesson by reading about Samuel, when he was to anoint David as king. He was somewhat fooled by the outward glory and did not see things rightly ac­cording to the way God saw them.

“So it was when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, ‘Surely, the Lord’s anointed is before Him!’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physi­cal stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” 1 Sam. 16:6-7.

Because of prosperity and a high standard of living, we now enjoy more liberties than in the past. As always, we must now ask ourselves “What is godliness?” so that our liberty is not used as an opportunity for the flesh. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an op­portunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Gal. 5:13.

The church is a movement in motion. As far as outward things go, we know that the world is always changing. And we change too, with regard to those things. Of course, in this con­text I am not speaking about things that have to do with the development of sin, but of natural, material and technological developments, as well as the standard of living that is natural for the country we live in. Nevertheless, we must be watchful and have restraint, so that we are not at the forefront of new developments in the world.

We must hold fast to God’s eternal Word—the Word of life—until the end. There have always been people who were very preoccupied with the outward form and who believed that it was the most important part of the gospel. Paul writes about them that they were obsessed with disputes and argu­ments over words and that they were destitute of the truth. 1 Tim. 6:4-5. That is why Paul also strongly exhorts us not to be diverted by outward things.

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” Col. 2:16-19.

The holy commandments are something else entirely! Paul uses very strong expressions to preserve the church on the right way and keep it from being deceived by false promises of a liberty that is outside the liberty we gain through the cross. Just listen to what he writes to Timothy: “I urge you in the sight of God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blame­less until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.” 1 Tim. 6:13-14.

Everyone who longs to live a God-fearing life must take seriously to heart the exhortations of the Scriptures regarding sins of sexual immorality. No one should consider himself strong and supremely confident in this area. On the contrary, we must walk in fear and be aware of our own weakness. Many snares will thereby be avoided. In Colossians 3:5-6 this powerful exhortation is given to people who were raised with Christ: “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire and covetousness which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.” There is no doubt that God’s wrath rests over these sins. They are manifest sins of the flesh. Gal. 5:19. We are called to be completely liberated from the power of darkness so that for all eternity we will belong to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Col. 1:13. Such base sins must not rule over us, causing God’s wrath to come over us. “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess. 1:9-10.

“There are commandments in the midst of freedom. There is a cross in the midst of the gospel. There is a longing in the midst of rest, and even in the blessing we have already re­ceived, we sense an urgent yearning. Forward without ceas­ing, forward, forward.” Brother Smith writes this in one of his letters, and the bride of Christ still experiences this today.

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” 1 Cor. 6:12-13. Just as naturally as food and the stomach go together, so also do the Lord and the body. Our bodies are not intended for adultery or sexual immorality. They are called to be the temple of the Holy Spirit; they must be used to carry out God’s will. Do not let yourself be de­ceived, and do not go astray in your thoughts! God’s Word will stand firm for all eternity.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Cor. 6:9-10. Since these sins have now become so common in the world, we must take extra care that we are not defiled with the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. A person who gives himself completely to God and enters into a covenant of sacrifice with Him is keenly aware that his body is for the Lord. Thus, the Lord is also for his body, exactly as Paul expe­rienced when he wrote to Timothy: “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also, I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” 2 Tim. 4:16-17.

God’s power comes over each one who stands firm in his covenant of discipleship. So fill yourself with the hope and the exhortations that God’s Word gives you. By the obedience of faith, you will have a glorious future with holy brothers and sisters for all eternity!

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is out­side the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Cor. 6:18-20.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you com­pletely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be pre­served blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess. 5:23.