High-Mindedness and Pride Destroy

Peace is essential in the church if there is to be growth and development. Arrogance (believing that you know and under­stand everything better than anyone else) leads to unrest. An arrogant person grieves the Holy Spirit and does not under­stand the laws at work in the body. The sheep are disap­pointed when discontent seeps out of brothers in whom they have confidence. Discontent comes when a person has be­come great in his own eyes. Job said, “For we are from yester­day and know nothing.” And Job was preserved.

We can be very active, but development will only take place with the help of the Holy Spirit. Acts 9:31. Only those who humble themselves and put to death the deeds of the body by the Holy Spirit will live. We can only experience growth through the Holy Spirit. Never outgrow poverty of spirit. Walking in the Spirit consumes a person—it crushes, it annihilates. Never come out of the fire that burns in the midst of the brotherhood.

It is very inappropriate for those who are nothing to put on airs of greatness and authority. None of us have understood things the way we should. Christ surpasses all knowledge; therefore, we should all be poor in spirit. How bold are you? We are the salt of the earth, and our reward is great in heaven. We are salt as long as we serve Jesus as Lord; then His will works in us. Salt will remain in us, and we will have great boldness. Acts 4:31-33.

When salt comes in contact with the earth, it loses its strength. So never reach out your hands toward the god of this world—honor, power or money—for then you will lose your boldness, and you will not be along in the same way you were before. There will be something guarded and reticent in your spirit. Always stand before the eyes of Him who came to John on Patmos—He who has something to tell us about our­selves. It is very important to share the thoughts of your heart with Jesus. The truths regarding Christ manifested in the flesh must never depart from any of us. No one can give food and nourishment to others unless he has a close life-connection with Christ. Do you feel like the sheep are very demand­ing? Remember, your task is to nourish them. We must help people to salvation and not grow weary of doing good! We will reap if we do not grow weary! Purify yourself from all complaining and discontent. We are seated in heaven, and the whole earth is our field of labor. We believe that God gives every generation the opportunities necessary to grow up. God is keenly interested in everything that lives!

Everything we do must be done in the spirit of the common good. Then the living God is with us. Acts 6:7-8. God’s Word will prosper where there is a spirit of unity. When there is strife or where there are strong women who want to be in con­trol, children and young people suffer. Children are very sen­sitive to spirits. Make every effort to have a good relationship with the brothers in your home church. That will also bless the next generation. Die to yourself so that fellowship can de­velop. There is an incredible reward for humbling yourself in your ministry. Perhaps there are things in the church that aren’t so perfect, but the church can live with them. However, we cannot live with a different spirit.

What is the effect of your ministry? Does it give the friends a longing to pursue faith? Pursue sanctification in the midst of your zeal. Heb. 12:14. Do not become a lord and dominate others from your good position. “In me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells.” Have you come to this acknowledg­ment? Things emanate from you that you have no control over, but which nevertheless affect other people. Have godly fear—stand before the living God. Who knows the power of the wrath of God and His anger so that he fears Him as He should be feared? Do you know how angry God is against sin? Each one of us must walk in the Spirit of fear so that thankful­ness increases for the other members of the body of Christ. They are joint-heirs and brothers of Jesus.

I receive grace to the degree that I humble myself. Eph. 4:7. If I have the mind to follow Jesus, that humiliation will never stop—I will never place a limit on how deeply I will humble myself. We are baptized with one Spirit to be one body. We represent Him in a body of humiliation—we must never for­get this! We must shun all arrogance and everything else that has no place in the lower parts of the earth. Then life becomes simple.

“He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” Is. 53:3. Here we can see what Jesus experienced in this world—life in the lower parts of the earth. We go through the same things everyone else goes through. The brothers in the church have always made that clear. Smith’s Friends have been despised by the entire Christian world because the brothers went down to the lower parts of the earth. Their light and clarity have built the church. There is double grace over the capstone—it is stronger and more tightly knit together than the other stones. It is so strong that it will crush all religiosity. We must remain down there where the sap and strength are. If we de-part from there, we will no longer represent the body of Christ. We flourish in the depths—that is where our true friends and family are. Set your course downward, and you will surely be exalted one day.

Many older friends have stood faithfully through difficult times. They are valuable people who have borne the church on their hearts. You can find wisdom, understanding, content and chastisement in these older brothers and sisters. If you are a younger brother or sister, listen carefully to them and take heed. Receive admonition! To be perfected for the work of ministry is a long course of study. We must grow up into all spiritual wisdom and understanding. That is something to go all-out for!