Not just reading them or hearing about them, but how much, much more glorious it is to love them and live according to them—according to all God’s Word concerning everything possible that is noble and good! This is so delightful! It is very beneficial for us and for others! It is no wonder that it becomes a pure delight, because all God’s Word is conceived and intended by God exclusively for the very best for ourselves and for others!!! God has just one intention with all His Word and all His works. It is, as much as possible, to make us partakers of heavenly happiness so that we prosper greatly, delighting in loving Him in return—Him who loved us first, and who loved us so indescribably much! Let us imagine something as festive as not demanding anything at all from brothers or sisters, or from our fellow men! Because demanding something from them is a really sad thing, causing us many disappointments. And disappointments are certainly not something delightful! Think of how relieved everyone becomes when we completely stop making demands on them. This will absolutely delight everyone! Just think of following this exhortation: “Give, and it will be given to you . . . .” Luke 6:38. Loving Jesus is keeping His commandments; it is doing what we are exhorted to. Imagine how happy the recipients of our gifts will be. And as far as we are concerned, it will be a delight, an exquisite pleasure to please our beloved Lord and Master in this way, besides pleasing our neighbor. Then it is easy to be us. It is permitted to please ourselves in this manner as much as we want and virtually without limits. He who loves will be loved in return! Then it is no wonder that a person is extremely happy. And think of something that is as glorious as paying with joy, as doing righteousness! By it we please God and men, having a well-pleasing and good conscience, and becoming so joyful! And just imagine—something as glorious and beneficial and pleasant as being peaceable! First of all peace, a deep peace in our inner man, and then peace with our friends and all people! Something as indescribably glorious as: no contention, not taking anyone to court, a good conscience toward God and men, no quarreling, no arguing, glorious unity, no jealousy, no envy, no wrath, no bitterness, no complaining, no accusation, no suspicion, no dissatisfaction, only peace that keeps all our thoughts in Jesus Christ. Rest in God in all kinds of changing circumstances!!! Our good Shepherd leads us to the still waters and lets us—spiritually speaking—lie in green meadows, in that glorious, spiritual Canaan where our sun never more goes down, where there is uninterrupted summer! Who would not delight himself and be ecstatic and thrilled??? No wonder that it is written, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Since it is written, “Rejoice always,” we have good reason to delight ourselves in and on account of all God’s laws and commands and exhortations, irrespective of circumstances! Glory to God!Elias Aslaksen

“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your fellow-brethren.” Heb. 1:9. God anointed Jesus with the oil of gladness more than His fellow-brethren. Jesus is the “firstborn among many brethren.” Rom. 8:29. His fellow-brethren were also anointed with the oil of gladness, but our first Brother was anointed more than we. We could ask, of what did this anointing which was the oil of gladness consist with which God anointed Jesus more than His fellow-brethren? The oil of gladness with which Jesus was anointed, was the Father’s delight in Him. The first time we read about this anointing is when He came out of the water after He was baptized and was to begin His preaching ministry. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3:17. At that time Jesus was about 30 years old, having lived as the son of a carpenter. Matt. 13:55. What had He done that was so great that such an anointing came over Him, despite the fact that He was not known for anything except that He was the son of a carpenter? Mark 6:3. We read, “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than your fellow-brethren.” He partook of flesh and blood in like manner as the children. Heb. 2:14. According to the flesh He was born of the seed of David. Rom. 1:3. The desire of the flesh is enmity against God. Rom. 8:7. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” V. 13. What Jesus did until He was 30 years old and what gave Him such an anointing of pleasure from God was that He learned to know God’s laws and hate the flesh of which He, as the Son of Man, had partaken from the seed of David—the flesh that was at enmity with God. He learned obedience by the things He suffered, consecrating the new and living way through the veil, that is, His flesh, in which sin was condemned. Heb. 5:8-9, 10:19-20; Rom. 8:3. This is the narrow way of which Jesus spoke that leads to life. He had to fight this battle (which we read about in Hebrews 5:7) in the days of His flesh in order to be saved from the death which those who live according to the flesh have to suffer. He had been so faithful during these 30 years, in spite of all the temptations, that He had not sinned. Therefore He received this anointing from heaven over His life. Heb. 4:15. The next time we read about Him being anointed was when Moses and Elijah came to Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. Then “a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’” Matt. 17:5. By that time He had been actively preaching, speaking words of such importance, words that He Himself had lived, that He received this anointing over His life, and at the same time people received this appeal from heaven: “Hear Him!” Acts 1:1. Among the words He had spoken just prior to this occurrence were: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matt. 16:24. All His disciples who become His brethren follow Him. About them it can be said, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” Rom. 8:9. They are led by the Spirit and are also anointed with the oil of gladness—God’s pleasure—by the Spirit Himself bearing witness with their spirit that they are children of God. V. 16; Heb. 2:11. People feel blessed when they receive gifts, but nothing makes them happier than knowing that other people are pleased with them. Many people have failed Christ in order to gain man’s approval over their lives, yet God’s testimony is far greater than man’s testimony. 1 John 5:9-10. Jesus did not receive the testimony of man. John 5:34. The Father’s testimony was sufficient for Him, and that alone must also be great in our eyes as His disciples. Then we are truly His brethren. The third time we read about Jesus being anointed was just before His work was finished: “Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’” John 12:28. The same thing will happen to us if we follow Him on the new and living way—the way on which He learned obedience and glorified the Father. 2 Thess. 1:11-12. Then when He appears, we will appear with Him. Col. 3:4.Sigurd Bratlie