“But the noble man devises noble plans, and by noble plans he stands.” Isaiah 32:8. Noble, devout, pure, holy, pleasing to God, a lovable character. This is precisely what we are not by nature. Yet this is precisely what we are called to become while we are here in the days of our flesh. It is the most exalted goal. The main mistake that many people make who are converted to God is that they most certainly do not believe they could reach such an indescribably great goal. Because they do not believe it, they do not seek it either. They exclude themselves by their unbelief. It begins with this noble desire, with a hunger and thirst for everything that is noble, and after a while this noble desire is fulfilled just as it is written! The palate, or mouth, of the bride is like the finest wine, says the Bridegroom in Song of Solomon 7:9. “The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved,” remarks the Bride. The delightful words from her delightful nature are the finest wine that glides down so smoothly! We must pose this question: “How can it become like this with us who by nature are so evil and unpleasant in every way?” By being cleansed and refined, cleansed and refined, cleansed and refined! By receiving, keeping, and being faithful to this noble desire. By this noble attitude of mind! “These were nobler . . . .” Acts 17:11. They searched the Scriptures daily to see whether what they were told was in agreement with the Scriptures. They didn’t accept just anything. They were not superficial. They sought perfection! They wanted to make sure it was right, and they wanted to be correct! “If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth.” Jer. 15:19. This is almost unbelievable! Nevertheless, it is true! After you have done it thoroughly, it becomes like this that when you have spoken, it is as if God Himself had said something. Every word is true, every word is reliable; there is no longer any sinful addition. Instead of noble thoughts, this passage has also been translated as: noble intentions. The vile part is: being selfish or self-loving, seeking your own advantage. The precious part is: living for others, seeking their advantage, their best. There is a virtually unceasing development and growth in this area with the result that we put a great distance between us and everything that is vile. Being in love with that which is noble and despising that which is ignoble in all kinds of guises are two sides of the same coin. “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.” Ps. 18:25-26. Oh, how it pays to be pious, pure, and noble!!! “He . . . preserves the way of His saints.” Prov. 2:8. When a person is not preserved, it is because he is not pious. “Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds.” Ps. 149:5. When a person is not joyful in glory and does not rejoice on his bed, it is because he is not noble and pious and pure in heart! He has entertained ignoble thoughts during the day. This corresponds well with the adage: “As you make your bed, so you must lie in it.” “Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Ps. 50:5. This is what God continues to do. We see this more and more clearly in these days, in the midst of this evil world, in the midst of this religious, dreadful commotion! The Lord be highly praised! “And of Levi he said: ‘Let your Thummim and your Urim [light and perfection] be with your holy [noble, pure, pious] one . . . .’” Deut. 33:8. (French translation: entrusted.) Of course, perfect light is entrusted only to such people who are faithful and continue to be faithful under all circumstances. Verse 9 is evidence of the high degree of their devotion to God. Verse 10 says that it is such people who are entrusted with teaching God’s law, and that they are the people who bring a whole sacrifice. It is not fitting for others to do that. It is unseemly for anyone else to do it. You cannot depend on anyone else. There have been plenty of examples of this throughout the years. Deviations have been many and varied! Most people entertain and speak innumerable ignoble thoughts and words in daily life. If we are not saved from them, they are still there.Elias Aslaksen

We see how seriously Paul viewed the matter of keeping the commandment without spot. This is understandable, for it is the commandments that form us. We are to be built together with the Chief Cornerstone—Christ—and the apostles and prophets. Eph. 2:19-22. If the commandment is changed during the various times, the people who are then being formed during those times cannot fit together. Therefore it was easiest in the beginning. However, even in Paul’s days it was “the many” who had perverted God’s Word for their personal gain, and Paul prophesies that there will be perilous times in the last days. 2 Tim. 3:1-5. And Jude writes that there were certain men who had crept in and had perverted God’s grace into licentiousness. V. 4. Today it is this perverted grace that rules, and if you want an opportunity to preach true grace, you have to “creep in.” 1 Pet. 5:12. From this we understand that it was necessary for Paul to use such strong language when he exhorted 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 . . . .” Jesus’ testimony before Pilate was: “My kingdom is not of this world.” Timothy was to remember this testimony. We can only keep the commandment without spot in our time if this is our attitude. Otherwise, we are apt to fit the commandment into the times in which we live and the result is just an appearance of godliness. Most people abandon the commandment when they have to suffer to keep it pure. Then they immediately view it in a different light. This view changes the commandment so that the suffering is lessened. It always heads in the direction of making it easier. Then the building no longer fits into the building that was established by Jesus and the apostles. However, those who truly live according to Jesus’ testimony before Pontius Pilate can keep the commandment without spot. They are servants of the Lord in our time. The others are wolves in sheep’s clothing, which Jesus warned against. 2 Tim. 4:1-5.Sigurd Bratlie