By Elias Aslaksen Part 4 To seek the honor of man, or even to receive honor, or even to be the least bit interested in what others say or think about you is sin and cuts you off completely from reacting to things in the best way possible; it cuts you off from reacting in a way that is acceptable to God. Seeking to be thoroughly saved from this very common, persistent sin of honor-seeking is, no doubt, one of the wisest things a person can do. It would be hard to find a more relevant subject, since we are usually in contact with people on a daily basis and, thus, are exposed to the expression of their opinions and can be tempted to be concerned about what they might think of us. When you have been saved from honor-seeking to such a degree that you are uninterested in people’s opinions and criticism (except for what you can glean from it that will aid in the continuing work of your own salvation), then you have a tremendous help always to react in a godly way. Then your peace, joy, and happiness will never be disturbed—to the glory of God. If one person thinks this about me and another thinks that, tell me, my friend, you who show such a keen interest—does this add to or detract from, or change in any way at all, the testimony of God about me? Do you think His view of me and my life will be influenced in any way by their opinions or comments? The answer, of course, is no. It is God alone who will judge us and reward us and assign us our place in eternity! In other words, the opinion of man means nothing whatsoever! Let people say and think whatever they like; it can almost be regarded as idle talk. Consequently, my friend, let us react in this good and practical way: “He or she has said this or that about me. Well, that is their business, and I refuse to get involved in that. What they have said about me will absolutely not change God’s thoughts about me or about anything else! I am who I am, regardless of what other people say about me. God does not make mistakes, either in His judgment of a matter or in His actions.” Perhaps I am tempted to think, “They probably think I am seeking my own in what I am doing now.” If I have been saved from seeking honor, it is not difficult to overcome this temptation immediately with something like this: “Yes, but if I am not seeking my own, then everything is in order on my part; they can think what they like.” My joy will be twofold. First, I rejoice because I am not seeking my own. Second, it is a delight to know, for certain, that the countless thoughts of people do not affect God’s view of the matter. You are tempted to think that “they might think that I have high thoughts about myself.” But then you reply within, “Yes, perhaps they do. How sad for them. As for me, how pleasant it is to know with certainty that my thoughts about myself are very small.” What is the best way of reacting to accidents and death? These areas are essentially the same as any other. To be able to react in a godly way, you must of course, have become godly through God’s salvation. An ungodly person reacts in an ungodly way, whereas a godly person reacts in a godly way. In other words, it is necessary for you to have partaken of a thorough salvation in order to be able to react as you ought to. The Scriptures say, “If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?” Amos 3:6. “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matt. 10:29-30. When we relate this to the fact that God knows what works together for our best and acts accordingly, we must necessarily conclude that no matter how sad or unwelcome the calamity, it is all the best that things happened as they did. And who would oppose what an all-wise, all-good God thinks is best!? In order to be able to react in this way, you must—absolutely, from the heart—forever have ceased to rely on your own reasoning, and God must have molded you to such an extent that your mind has become yielding, humble, and meek. Then you will preserve that deep, inner peace and rest under all circumstances, no matter how painful the situation might be. And, if any of our loved ones get into serious trouble, become unfaithful, or fall away from God, it is quite natural to think, “Oh, if only I had been able to keep this from happening!” But, with the understanding that God Himself—whose love is perfect—has not kept it from happening, we can be at rest in God, even in such an acutely painful situation, even though the sorrow is unspeakably great. For even with all our anxiety, we cannot make one hair black or white. May this indispensable, all-encompassing, indescribably effective truth always be clear and living for us—namely, that my reaction is the single determining factor of my happiness!

When the enemy host marched against Israel, God did not count the children of Israel to see how many He had to meet the enemy. Not at all! He looked for those who were God-fearing and faithful, and with them the Lord could wage His wars and gain the victory. Even if He did not find more than one man, that was sufficient to overcome a thousand. The Lord always has victory in His hand, but He can give it only to those who have made a covenant to keep His laws. When the children of Israel came into the land of Canaan, they were told to keep every law that God had commanded them. If they did, they would have success in all their ways; the Lord would be an enemy of their enemies, and no power could resist them. One of the Lord’s commandments went like this: “And you, by all means keep yourselves from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.” Josh. 6:18-19. Then the children of Israel went with faith and enthusiasm against Jericho. The walls fell, and the enemies were conquered just as the Lord had promised. The entire land was to be taken. When they were about to go up against Ai, Joshua sent some men to spy it out. They returned and said that it would be easy to conquer because there were not many people there. Then they went up against the city, but the amazing thing was that the children of Israel were put to flight, and several of them were killed. Then the hearts of the people melted and became like water. Josh. 7:5. “Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.” V. 6. “So the Lord said to Joshua: ‘Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.’” Vs. 10-12. Now there was a commotion in Israel, and everyone was thoroughly searched and tried. Tribe after tribe gathered, and every man from the various clans and families was assembled until they came to Achan’s tent where the accursed goods were buried. Achan said, “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.” V. 21. How foolish Achan was that he in his covetous desire had acted against God’s law and thus brought misfortune over himself and all of Israel. Here we can see how carefully God watches over His Word and that He intervenes immediately. Israel was to have victory and good fortune on their side in all their ways if they did not take anything of the accursed goods. However, now there came an immediate end to victory and good fortune. The children of Israel could have continued year after year in their attempt to take Ai, but it would never have succeeded for them as long as there was something buried in the tent. But once the evil was cleansed out and the children of Israel were sanctified to the Lord, they could continue marching from victory to victory. Many people say that they have tried to live an overcoming life, but that it is impossible. All of them have made the attempt but with something “buried in the tent.” The Lord never gave victory, good fortune, and progress to faithless people in the old covenant, but rather saw to it that they were thoroughly put to shame. The same thing is true today. David sings in Psalm 32:11: “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” If we are truly pure and upright in heart, victory and good fortune will befall us on all our ways. Just as the children of Israel were chosen to gain the victory, so are we chosen to overcome each sin that tries to overwhelm us. Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. Let us thoroughly search the tent of our heart before we go into battle. All of us have been in enemy territory and have been accursed with the curse, both we and our possessions. However, nothing is to be hidden and used for ourselves. We are to be sanctified to the Lord with our abilities, strength, and everything we have—we belong in His treasury. He shall use us according to His will. God is very exact when it comes to the accursed goods. Achan is an example of someone who wanted to use some of it according to his own will and desire.Aksel J. Smith

“How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised . . . .” Rom. 4:10-11. The promise to Abraham was that he would receive a son who would come from his own body and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. This appeared to be impossible to Abraham, but he believed God would do it, and God reckoned it to him for righteousness. Gen. 15:4-6. Consequently, God gave him the sign of circumcision as a seal that the promise would be fulfilled. God could not have fulfilled His promise to Abraham if Abraham had not accepted that seal and entered into the covenant. If he had not been separated from the nations, his offspring would have become assimilated with the people among whom they lived. The seventy souls that went to Egypt and grew to be a great nation during their four hundred years’ sojourn there and then left again according to God’s command, went there as circumcised. This is written for our example. We hear God’s promises to us as ungodly and uncircumcised. When we hear the gospel that Jesus can save us and transform us into a new creation so that righteousness can come from our own body, we receive faith for it. But we, too, must receive the seal of circumcision if it is to be fulfilled in us. This is the circumcision of the heart, in the Spirit. Rom. 2:28-29. Jesus explains circumcision as follows: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26. “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” V. 33. The promises cannot be fulfilled in us without this seal of circumcision. God could have His way with Abraham only when he went out from his people and his land. This is the faith of Abraham. It is the same for us. “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” 2 Thess. 2:13. We have been chosen. “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Heb. 13:13. There are many religious groups. They all speak about an imputed righteousness, but they don’t believe in the promise to Abraham that he would receive a son from his own body. Neither do they believe in transformation in Christ so that the virtues of Christ would come from their own bodies, which is personal righteousness. We must go out from all those who have the appearance of godliness but who deny its power. 2 Tim. 3:5. The church is built up outside the camp under the seal of circumcision where Abraham’s faith has rules and the promises are being fulfilled without “alliances” and so-called “tolerance.”Sigurd Bratlie