| CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE | February 2001 |
Our All-wise Lord
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“These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire.” |
THIS SCRIPTURE SPEAKS of the infinite knowledge, understanding and insight of our Lord, the great Head of the church, the supervisor and caretaker of all its affairs. Our Lord announces himself in this way to the church in Thyatira. This church belonged to the very darkest period of man’s history, the Dark Ages, when the spiritual interests of the people of God appeared to be at their lowest ebb.
COMFORT FOR MARTYRS
How comforting to suffering martyrs, when right was on the scaffold and wrong upon the throne, to know their Lord and Master understood the situation perfectly. He was pleased to test the faithfulness of his saints in the fire of affliction, so that they were frequently constrained to cry, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10) They knew he would take speedy vengeance upon the persecutors as soon as the due time arrived, even though they had to bear long with these persecutors; or, to use Paul’s expression, he “endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.”—Rom. 9:22
What more important lesson could there be for us today than to realize that we are dealing with the same gracious, loving, and all-wise Master, before whose eyes everything is naked and open (Heb. 4:13), and who discerns the very thoughts of our hearts, yea, and even the motives underlying these. How important to remember this in our daily walk and conversation—in every plan we entertain, and every project we seek to carry out. How important, too, to remember this in dealing with the brethren, and in all the affairs of the church!
SELF-JUSTIFICATION
For instance, the natural tendency of us all is to seek to justify ourselves in all we say and do. Hence, to this end we may quote certain scriptures which appear to support our views, or the course we wish to take. Whether our application of scripture be correct or incorrect, let us ask ourselves what are our motives for our conduct or for the course we are persuaded is the right one. Are they influenced by the Spirit of Christ and love for the brethren and our fellows, or by our natural inclinations, which may deceive us into thinking our course is the right one?
How easy it is to be misled if there be an idol in the heart. Our Master can never be deceived, either by our words or our actions, for his eyes are as a flame of fire. He is all-seeing and able to penetrate all outward forms and subterfuge, discerning the very thoughts and intents of the heart. Hence, the important thing ever to remember is that while we may deceive ourselves or our brethren by a misuse of the scriptures justifying our course, or by a failure to remember and apply the Word of the Lord to the matter upon which we need special guidance, we cannot deceive the Lord.
All things are open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do, and he is judging us accordingly—not, in the final analysis, by our words or our daily walk before the brethren or the world, but according to the thoughts and intents of the heart. Even if we have erred unwittingly, and later it is brought to our attention, let us at once offer our ‘trespass offering’ and seek to be restored to full at-one-ment with the Lord.
For the comfort of the honest and faithful children of God, the Apostle John says, “If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (I John 3:20), as much as to say, Wherein we may have done wrong, he may be able to find an excuse for us when we cannot find one for ourselves. (I Cor. 4:3) So, let us not cast away our confidence, he knoweth our frame. He that searcheth the heart, knoweth the mind of the Spirit. And as a father has a tender regard for his children, so the Lord has a tender regard for those who fear him.