The Heaton File

Now let me sing to my Well-beloved a song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. (Isaiah 5:1-2)

The Vineyard Of The Lord

Isaiah was a superlative prophet whose preaching was plain, direct and controversial. The period of time was the disintegration of the nation of Israel as it imploded on itself filling its belly with the waste of idolatry. During his life, two major crises bring war with Syria and the impending assault by the Assyrian nation. Isaiah lived in troubled times and the people of God would suffer greatly. The reason for the terrible things that would befall the nation was because of their continued rejection of the Lord. Following the death of Solomon, Israel divided into the nation of Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Ten tribes made up the northern kingdom and rapidly fell into wickedness. The southern kingdom of Judah and Benjamin would experience good kings and evil kings but eventually be taken to captivity by the Babylonians for seventy years. Prophets like Isaiah warned the people repeatedly of the coming justice of the Lord but to no avail.

The appeal of Isaiah was to show the people why God chose them in the beginning. Israel was a nation built upon the promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God delivered the people from the bondage of Egypt and made them a great nation. Isaiah uses a parable of a vineyard to express all the Lord had done for the people. His plan was to raise up a nation that would glorify Him and God did all He could do to help the nation become a glorious example of His love and grace. Like a farmer who plants a vineyard so that he may enjoy the blessings of its fruit, so the Lord established Israel for His glory. The tower in its midst was to protect the vineyard and the winepress to enjoy the blessings of the fruit. All God intended for Israel was to no avail because instead of the vineyard producing good grapes He only harvested wild grapes. The Lord planted Israel for His glory but the people turned on Him and went after idols as their gods.

Israel’s rise and fall is clearly defined in scripture. Scriptures show all the Lord did to rescue the nation but they refused. Their final destruction and bondage was just reward for a people that refused to worship the Lord God in truth. Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard is still true today when men refuse to worship God in spirit and truth. The church was created to be a vineyard of good grapes. He built it and established it through the blood of His Son so the world can see His glory. What men have done with the church is likened to the wild grapes of disobedience and carnality. Man-made churches give glory to men and their passions rather than the simple truth of God’s word. Rejecting the plan of the church set forth in the New Testament, the church has become the totem of man’s wisdom and desire to seek salvation in themselves. Modern religion is filled with the wants of man and his pleasure. Like Israel of old, they serve the gods of self.

Within the body of Christ the destruction of God’s vineyard is found when men refuse to follow the plan of God. Churches languish for decades without leadership, immorality is common and the spread of the gospel is a rare sight. The local congregation of God’s people has turned into wild grapes. His glory is seldom seen in the lives of His people, His word rarely sought. The parable of the vineyard should be a warning of the complacency that so easily besets the people of God. We are here for His glory and His glory alone. The church should be a beacon of truth, righteousness and holiness showing forth the purpose and glory of the bride of Christ. We are created for the work of God as the One who expects our lives to bring forth good grapes.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Self-Control

Of all the graces of the fruit of the Spirit, none are more essential than the last character of self-control. It is by this virtue that all others build upon and without the fortitude of ruling self, none of the fruits of the Spirit can be accomplished. Self-control is the engine that drives the heart to focus upon the will of God seeking to do His will above all else. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the dominion of keeping in check the precarious spirit of self is achieved. The spirit of man is a scheming heart that is easily attracted to the wiles of the devil. Satan uses the weakness of the spirit to gain control of the will of man tempting him with all the subtleties of evil. Sin comes about when self is left unguarded. The devil waits for the right moment to strike and when the guards of self are down he sweeps in. If there is no rule over the spirit sin comes easily.

Temptation is a process. Sin comes after desire has conceived and without the will-power to resist, sin takes hold. Resisting sin comes from the Holy Spirit filling the heart with the courage to resist temptation and through self-rule, reject sin. Self-control is learning to govern the unchecked spirit of man to be molded to the character of godliness but only when the power of God rules the heart. One of the hardest characters for man to tame is self. Like the tongue, it is an unruly evil. Only through the fruit of the Spirit can man learn to tame the disobedient heart.

Self-control is where the other fruits originate and where self-control is manifested. Love is a natural desire but it is also learned. Joy, peace and longsuffering are born from the control of the inner man. Being kind is exercising the passion of self to express kindness toward others. Filling the heart with goodness rises from the rule of self and finds its truest expression in action. Learning to be faithful is controlling the passions of the flesh and mind. Having a gentle spirit is tempered by conquering of the pride of life. Self-control finds its roots in all of the fruits of the Spirit. Each of the fruits is the unveiling of a rule guided by the will of the Holy Spirit. None of the fruits of the Spirit stand alone.

No man can stand as tall as he who guards self with the passion of God’s will ruling his heart, soul, mind and body. The lust of the flesh will be tempered and the pride of life will find no home. Self-control blinds the lust of the eye to see only the glory of God. Jesus is the perfect example of self-control as He lived His life without sin endued with the fruits of the Spirit. His example may never be mastered by human hearts but the goal of mortal man should be to exercise the fruit of the Spirit in controlling the unruly beast of self. With God’s help, it can be done.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. (Ephesians 3:14-15)

We Are Family

When God created man and put him in the garden, He knew that he could not be alone. Woman was created to be a help-meet and bring companionship to the world establishing the family. Every generation has replicated the need of family as the basis of society and survival of man. The church was planned before time and in carrying out the work of the church the family became the core element of its existence. On Pentecost the eternal plan of God came to fruition but more importantly the first Christians became a body of believers sharing their possessions and bonding with one another as the first family of the church. Two thousand years removed the church remains an eternal family that is held together by the glory of one Father. Paul’s prayer to the saints at Ephesus declares the familial relationship of every Christian on earth regardless of nationality, color of skin, language or economic status. The body of Christ is a melting pot of all nations blending into the harmony of the blood of Jesus.

We are family at the local level. Congregations of God’s people fill the earth and each local church is made up of different personalities, backgrounds and social economic positions. In all of this we are family. What this means is we have the same Father and our elder brother is Jesus Christ. It is easy to think of ourselves as separated from others because of the difference in our lives. The character of the church created by God is that all men would come together under the same spiritual roof showing love to one another and preference for one another. Rich and poor would lift their voices together in harmony as one. The color of skin would be erased in the eyes of those who share the same heavenly Father. There would be no distinctions of education in the family of God as we share in the same knowledge of God’s truth. Young and old would blend their lives together helping one another and exhorting one another. Family. That is what the church is all about.

As a family we have the same care for one another. If one member hurts, we hurt and when there is joy in the hearts of my brethren we celebrate. Prayer is the bond that holds us together and our prayers are spent in asking our common Father to bless the family. When we see one of our brethren in need we seek to help. In every congregation there will be those who are weak in faith that faces challenges that seem to overwhelm them. As a family we reach out to them and encourage them to be faithful. One indicator of spiritual weakness is when a brother or sister fails to assemble with the church on a regular basis. Family is the meaning of our relationship with all the members and our duty to the wayward soul is to reach out to restore our brother or sister. Imagine in the real family if one of our brothers or sisters did not come home for six weeks. It is unimaginable to think we would not notice or have concern. Why in the family of God can our fellow brother or sister leave the family of God unnoticed? Being part of a family requires our love for all those in the family.

Pain comes to the family of God. The family of God is a group of people that weep when others weep and rejoice when others rejoice. This also means that when a brother or sister stumbles that I help them up. A brother or sister can be overtaken in sin and we are to help them regain their faith by encouraging them in the faithfulness of God’s word. All of God’s children sin and need the grace and mercy of forgiveness. No one is without sin and the family of God is a society of forgiven sinners needing His grace. The joy of family is that we forgive and we help and we pray for one another as we struggle against the wiles of the devil. We be brethren and that means we are family. Thank you God for allowing us to be in Your family and for You to give Your Son to die for us so that we can love one another. Family.

When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.(Deuteronomy 18:9-14)

We Have Not Been Appointed To Such

The greatest challenge for the Hebrew nation entering Canaan was not the conquering of the nations around them but the battle for their minds from the influence of the people that lived there. Numerous times the Lord told Israel the Promised Land had been given to them. At Kadesh-Barnea the people were assured of the victory over the inhabitants of the land. Forty years later as they prepared to cross the Jordan River the Lord promised unconditionally the land would be theirs. His warning was clear the greatest danger confronting them was following the detestable practices of nations as they worshipped idols causing their children to be sacrificed as burnt offerings, witchcraft, sorcery and all of the carnal desires of the flesh. The reason the Lord was allowing Israel to destroy these nations was punishment for their wickedness. He was driving the ungodly out of the land as judgment for their idolatry. As the nation of Israel swept through the land executing the will of the Lord they were to remain blameless or perfect before the Lord. They were the vengeance of God upon the unholy. As they settled in the land the people were to keep themselves apart from the influence of the world about them because the Lord had appointed them to be sanctified and holy to Him.

Joshua lead the people into Canaan and the land was conquered through the power of God. Sadly, the history of Israel is written in the sands of spiritual defeat as the people failed to follow the will of God is dispossessing the nations about them. Their history became a tragic tale of immersing themselves in the abominations of those nations. A time would come when they made their sons and daughters pass through the fire and practiced witchcraft, soothsaying and all the abominations of the Lord God. They did not remain blameless. What they had been appointed to by the grace of God was rejected to become like the nations around them. The glory of the Almighty was tarnished in the lives of the children of God as they allowed the world about them to change their hearts to serve the gods of the world.

The church of Jesus Christ faces the same challenge as the Israelites of old. Satan continues his brutal onslaught on the hearts of the people of God to dissuade them in serving the one true Lord. Every day the abominations of the world whittle away at the character of righteousness and truth as the saints of God slip deeper into the practices of the carnal world. We do not pass our children through the fires of pagan altars but we sacrifice them to the luxuries of the world in giving them everything but God. They are taught that acceptance by the world is more important than service to the one true Lord. Sons and daughters are sacrifices on altars of popularity, entertainment, materialism and sexuality in immodesty to the glory of the world. God is not exalted. He is debased in the eyes of the family, the community and the church.

God separated Israel calling them to be blameless before Him. They had been appointed by the Lord God to be a people distinct in their speech, dress, attitude and example. Their lives were to be in contrast to the world about them. So must the church be in all things to be a distinct people who do not serve the gods of the world. Carnality has largely influenced the church to where it is difficult to distinguish the Christian from the non-Christian. The church of the Lord has been appointed by the Lord God to be a people of notable character. Everyone who desires to live consecrated lives will face persecution from a world diseased by the abomination of sin. Children of God stand against these influences seeking to keep themselves pure because He has appointed them to be a people of character. The history of Israel is laid bare on the altars of rebellion and will become the prophetic story of the church if change is not made.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1-2)

The Ephesian Family

Writing from a Roman prison, the apostle Paul exhorted the saints to whom he wrote to enjoy the manifold blessings of the Father through Jesus Christ and the spiritual blessings afforded by the grace of God. The letter called the Ephesians is a wonderful declaration of the eternal plan of God to redeem man through the sacrifice of His Son. Found in the covenant of Christ is the mercy of a loving Father allowing men to come before Him and receive forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. The letter of Ephesians is a powerful demonstration of the nature of the church, the body of Christ.

As Paul unfolds the mystery of the gospel, he includes a very important part of the plan of God in the unity of the one body. A new man emerges from the ashes of carnality putting off the old man of a corrupt mind and becoming the image of a new man created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. The church is vital in its part to proclaim the gospel, establish true worship and carry out the mission of the Lord. One of the most important features of the one body is the nature of the family. The new man walks in unity and in love and as children of light those in the body of Christ walk in a pattern of wisdom. All of this is seen in the relationship of the Ephesian family that describes the actions of the wives, husbands, children and fathers. The one faith Paul speaks about in his letter is evident through the lives of the individual saints that present themselves as proper examples of godly women submitting themselves to their own husbands, as to the Lord. Men rise up to meet the challenge of being the spiritual leaders of the family as the head of the wife using Christ as their example and guide. Like the relationship of Christ to the church, husbands love their wives and nurture them. The Ephesian family is built upon the spiritual foundation of a man and woman following the diving pattern of headship and submission.

The Ephesian family is made up of children who obey their parents in the Lord, because that is the right thing to do in the eyes of God. They give honor to their parents through the godly example they see in the father and mother who set a pattern of truth before them as husbands and wives. Again, the spiritual leadership of the family is rooted in the work of the father who is leading his family in the training and admonition of the Lord. Fathers are not provoking their children to disobey the Lord. They are encouraging them to serve the Lord with all their heart, soul and mind. The Ephesian family is established by putting on the whole armor of God and allowing the power of God to fill the lives of husband, wife and children.

Reading the epistle of Ephesians is a complete message of how the family of God should be the family among men. The psalmist reminds us that unless the home is crafted by the hand of God, they labor in vain who build it. There is no greater need in the world today for men and women to take their place in the home as designed by the Lord in showing the powerful message of the mystery of Christ to a lost and dying world. The home should be the beginning beacon of truth, holiness and righteousness. Women should submit to their husbands as the Lord has commanded. Men should take the role of spiritual leader of their home serious not only as the spiritual leader of the woman but the spiritual guide of the home in teaching the children. Young men and young women should respect the role of the parents in the training they give according to the word of God. The model of the Ephesian home should be the model of my home.

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. (Mark 1:21-28)

He Was Famous

There was a time in the life of Jesus where He enjoyed a good measure of fame. The meaning of fame is to be well known or enjoy the status of a celebrity. Nazareth never would have a son whose fame would be as great as Jesus. As a teacher, He had no rivals. The people recognized the message of Jesus was clear, demonstrative and with authority. They had long heard the scribes and rulers expound upon the law but only to the glory of themselves. Listening to Jesus the multitudes were touched by the clarity of His message. Truth was on every word. He challenged the religious rulers and those who feigned worship to God for self-glory. The man from Nazareth never shied away from controversy confronting the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Jesus became famous as a man who spoke plain and true without contradiction. Multitudes flocked to Him to hear a style of teaching they had not heard before – and they were moved by it.

The miracles of Jesus brought Him more fame. There was nothing that could not be healed or mended. Blind people were made to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk. Jesus raised the dead, cast out demons and calmed the storm. No man had ever shown such power as the man from Nazareth. The Jewish rulers who sought to catch Him in His words never denied the miracles. On one occasion the fame of Jesus was so great the people sought to make Him their king. Jesus slipped away from them. All of His teaching and the exercise of His Father’s power on mortal man made Him a celebrity of high visibility. Jesus was famous. But that is not why He came to earth.

Fame is fleeting. Solomon declared the transitory nature of fame in his thesis on life. Jesus could have been the king of all men on earth serving their needs of miraculous healing, stern teaching and acts of kindness. For a time He was probably the most famous person on earth. He could heal everything and no man could resist Him. This would have been a great temptation Satan used to bring the Son of God down but He resisted the desires of the people for the purpose of His Father. The only reason Jesus came to earth was to fulfill the work of the eternal plan given to Him by God and the precarious fame of men would not dissuade Him in His work.

Jesus came to die on a cross. The fame He enjoyed would be wiped away when the crowds screamed, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Forgotten were His miracles of love and grace. The mountain top sermons and the long discussions of virtue, righteousness and truth were gone as the mobs demanded His death. His fame had been turned into a cross. The glory of man’s nobility was now hanging on a cross in shame. No one thought Him famous. He was a criminal sentenced to the worst death known to man. The crowds no longer flocked around Him to be healed or to hear a word of authority. Jesus of Nazareth was not the proud son of the carpenter’s town but the disgraced son of Joseph and Mary who had been crucified for certain crimes. And then Sunday came.

Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. (John 7:14-18)

Seeking The Glory Of The One

The testimony of Jesus was a very clear demonstration of the power of God yet many remained confused as to who Jesus really was. Some called Jesus a good man but others thought Him to be a deceiver. His teaching contradicted what was known of His education because Jesus was not a man of letters or an educated man. He confounded the teachers at the temple when He was twelve years old without the benefit of formal schooling. Often the Jewish leaders sought to trap Jesus in His teaching but to no avail. The Jews marveled that an uneducated man could be so versed in the Law and Prophets without the recognition of an education. Jesus was truly an unusual man.

What made the teaching of the man from Nazareth so powerful was the words He spoke were nothing more than the words of His Father. All Jesus taught came from the will of God. He was sent by His Father to teach the things concerning the salvation of man’s soul. Every word came from the mouth of God. Jesus never took it upon Himself to say anything that did not proceed from the throne of His Father. All the Jews had to do to be pleasing to God was to follow the words spoken by Jesus because everything He said came from God. It may have been the simplicity of the message that challenged the people of His time but Jesus only said what His Father instructed Him to say.

The contrast in Jesus day was demonstrated by the teachings of men and what He taught the people. There was a clear difference in the manner the Jewish leaders taught the people and the authority of Jesus in His teaching. Listening to the words of Jesus, the people recognized He spoke with authority. Jesus observed when men seek their own will they will speak words that befit their own agenda. Many will boast of great swelling words to draw attention of the people to themselves but this is not the case when speaking the words of God. More often than not, teaching the wisdom of God brings affliction and a need to change. The words of men are nothing more than a false façade of wisdom while the words of God are true. Men speak to gain glory from others. Speaking only the words of God gives glory only to the Father.

There is a need for this lesson to be shown to the world. Religions abound that give glory to men rather than God. People are easily deceived into believing the lie of those who speak great swelling words of so-called wisdom without seeing whether the words come from God. The Lord has given all men the ability to read and understand His words yet few men do. Paul told the Ephesian saints they could read and understand his knowledge of the mystery of God because the only thing the apostle taught was the word of God. Standing on the promise of God’s word will never bring a teacher into conflict with the word of God. Preaching the word and the word only will declare the glory of God to men. Changing the words of God to fit the wisdom of men will bring glory to man. Jesus only taught the words of His Father. His authority came from the authority of God alone. How can we do any less? Read the Bible and establish the words of God as your pattern of authority and guidance. Reject the wisdom of men and accept the will of the Lord.

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:16-18)

The Church Of Christ

In a world divided by religious mixtures of changing faiths, the New Testament church is hard to find. Terms that once declared simple truths have changed to describe a host of things far from the original meaning. Satan has been very busy in camouflaging the unique character of the divine kingdom convincing the world worship to God is a matter of choice dependent on the personal values and taste of the individual. Often Satan is more successful in deceiving the minds of men by allowing them to believe in God but to offer a transitional view of how to worship the Lord. He convinces the multitudes that calling on the name of the Lord will save them without following His will. Surveying any community it is unmistakable the variety of churches that dot the landscape taking different names, creeds, practices and faith – the scheme of the devil has been very effective in creating religious confusion.

What is the church of Christ? Many outside the church (and inside the church) see the “Church of Christ” as a denominational body no different than the thousands of other churches in the community. In part this would be true as denominational concepts have crept into the New Testament church creating a world of man-made religion no different than the creations of men. Examining the teachings of the Bible is where the church should always plead for authority, design and structure; regardless of how things have been done the past fifty years or who began what church in what place. Biblical authority comes from the authority of the Bible and nothing else. The church of the New Testament is a very unique and special formulation of divine origin and purpose. Man would do well to look to the pages of God’s word to see the pattern of His divine word in what the church belonging to Christ must be.

The church of Christ is the body of Christ representing those who are called out belonging to the Son of God. Paul describes the church as the “bride of Christ,” “kingdom of Christ,” “family of God,” a “building” and a “flock.” When Paul was persecuting the church he went looking for those who were of “the way.” All of these are terms describing the function of the church. The church of Christ is undenominational in character because there is only one body or one church with one faith, one Lord and one God and Father. Writing to the saints in Corinth, Paul called the body the “church of God.” To the people in Thessalonica he called them the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. A close study of New Testament scripture exposes the fact there is no “official” name for the church Jesus died for as each name describes a particular nature of the church.

Why is it fitting to call the church by the name of Christ? It is proper to refer to the church as belonging to Christ because He built it and bought it with His blood. Christ is the foundation of the church and the only head and savior of the body. Bible authority demands the church of Christ be referred to as belonging to Christ. The bride of Christ belongs to Christ. Man-made churches exalt some man in name rather than Christ! The church in the New Testament is never referred to as the Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Nazarene, Episcopal, or Roman Catholic Church. Paul does refer to the churches of Christ in Romans 16:16. Reading the Bible is not a difficult task and finding the truth is just as simple as reading about it in the word of God. If it is not in the Bible it is created by man.

The church of Christ is not a denomination and it is not a building. Alexander Campbell did not start the church and there is no man that is the head of the church. The church of Christ is a 2000 year old body of people who belong to Jesus Christ as given by the pattern of the New Testament! Every pattern of the church today must follow the arrangement of the church found in the New Testament. Anything less and anything more is a perversion of what Jesus said He would build. He built the church. The church is built on the foundation that He is the Son of God. Thank God for the church that belongs to Jesus Christ.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Gentleness

One of the triad of temptations is the pride of life. Angels smile when men exalt themselves as gods in vaulted pride for the hypocrisy of their station. Created lower than angels, the human man has always destroyed himself by elevating his self-worth to be something it is not. There is a feeling of value when pride fills the heart that man is the superior creature of all. The spirit of the Christian is in stark contrast to the arrogance of carnal man as he abides in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Gentleness is meekness and one of the most powerful characteristics of God’s children. It does not come naturally and must be learned through patient meditation on the word of God. Taking the fruit of the Spirit demands changing the outlook of self to a need for the saving grace of a loving Father.

Gentleness towards others begins first with the heart humbled by the present need of mercy. Sin has cast all men down. Salvation cannot come from man. Through God’s love redemption is found in Jesus Christ. The sacrifice of the Son of God creates a heart filled with the knowledge that only by the grace and mercy of the Lord God is there hope, joy and peace. Meekness or gentleness is the knowledge of man’s inferiority to the grace of God. For carnal man weakness is implied because he wants to be his own god. The outgrowth of a humble spirit toward the Father changes the pride of man to a love for God. A gentle spirit knows the worth of man. He carries this feeling in his relationship with others.

The fruit of the Spirit is gentleness as all men share in the need for grace. Jesus died for everyone. All men have sinned. Arrogance and pride toward others defeats the purpose of the sacrifice of Jesus. In the Christian graces meekness is adapting a spirit of grace toward others and seeing the need of the other man is as great as our own. Submission to God shows itself in submission to others. Being obstinate and self-reliant with a headstrong impetuosity toward others is not the character of God’s people. The prideful badge of courage in the carnal world is shameful for those cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Gentleness is what makes the Christian stand out as the light of the world or the seasoning power of salt. A meek spirit loves all men seeking their eternal welfare. The two men who went up to pray exhibit the problem with pride and the joy of meekness. One man bragged how he was not like other men and boasted of all his deeds. The justified man would not so much as lift his eyes to heaven declaring himself a sinner seeking the mercy of God. Courage is found in the spirit of gentleness and meekness.

All of the fruits of the Spirit are tempered by gentleness. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control come from a heart that bows in thanksgiving for the eternal mercy and grace of God. Because of the kindness of God toward man, the fruit of the Spirit brings forth a meek spirit dependent on the overshadowing power of God’s presence. The character of the gentle Christian is seen in their speech, attitudes and actions toward their fellow man. Far removed is the ugly spirit of arrogance and pride. The body of Christ would do well to implement the teachings of the Lord with meekness towards one another. Peace comes from meekness. Joy is found in the gentle spirit. Achieving a longsuffering and faithful heart comes from the fertile fields of a meek and quiet spirit. Gentleness. Try it. It will change your life.

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: “Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting. (Numbers 2:1-2)

Order In God’s Plan

The population of Israel when they left Egypt has been suggested to be around two million souls. Managing this kind of crowd would be an immense undertaking. The exodus from Egypt included 603,550 twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war. Adding the number of all other adults and children would swell that number to an incredible amount of people to move from one place to another. The crossing of the Red Sea must have been a sight to behold as they passed through the sea in one night. As the Hebrews made their way to Sinai the inhabitants of the land would have feared such a large body of people moving through their land. In a very literal way, a complete nation was on the move to the land of Canaan.

God is not the author of confusion and like His beautiful design in creation; He establishes a pattern of order to facilitate the needs of the people. Reading of the travels of Israel and especially the forty year wanderings, it should not be lost on the reader the immense crowd of people requiring food, water, clothing and every day logistics to care for their needs. A nation was on the move. God’s will includes a pattern of organization that will bring unity to His purpose and design. When the people of Israel moved from place to place, they did so according to their tribes. Everyone camped by his own standard according to their fathers house. The tabernacle of meeting was in the center of the camp and all the tribes encircled it according to the plan of the Lord. On the east side the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun camped. To the south Reuben, Simeon and Gad. On the west side of the tabernacle Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin placed their tribes. Finally on the north flank the tribes of Dan, Asher and Naphtali completed the plan. The Levites would encircle the tabernacle all around as buffer between the people and the tabernacle. They camped by their standards and broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses.

When it was time to leave, the standard of the camp of Judah (including Issachar and Zebulun) set out first followed by the tabernacle carried by the sons of Gershon and Merari. Then the standard of Reuben (Simeon and Gad) followed with the Kohathites carrying the holy things with the standard of Ephraim (Manasseh and Benjamin) taking their place. The rear guard of all the camps included Dan, Asher and Naphtali. This was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they begin their journey. The cloud of the Lord was above them by day to guide them. And they followed in the order prescribed by the Lord set forth as a pattern of His will. Design. Purpose. Unity.

The New Testament church is built upon a pattern of the unity of God’s will. Corinth is an example of how the Lord designed the church with order and purpose. It may not be as evident on the surface but when the saints at Corinth left the pattern of authority confusion became the norm. Their worship services were filled with chaos and disorder. During the days of miraculous gifts, the early Christians were making the worship of the Lord to be a contest of superiority and competition. Paul emphasized in his letter to Corinth that God was not the author of confusion but of peace. The apostle stated that all things should be done decently and in order. This hearkens back to the manner Israel was organized and how the Lord demanded His will to be followed in a design of order. Too often men have made the worship of God to be a place of raucous pandemonium believing this is a pattern of worship. It does not suggest that worship should be dull and without feeling. Quite the contrary as Jesus told the woman at well that worship to God must be in spirit and truth. There must be spirit in worship according to truth but there must be order and pattern in that worship.

A study of the Corinthian problem finds that when men follow the pattern of God there will be edification and knowledge leading to salvation. When men do not follow the pattern of the Lord they rebel against authority. The children of Israel had no choice about who went first and who followed. As far as we know they followed this pattern throughout the forty years in the wilderness. The church of today must follow the pattern of unity prescribed in God’s word and resist the temptation to go beyond what is written. There is no authority but that given by the one who ordained, organized and prescribed its worship according to His divine plan. Worship must be filled with the spirit of God. It must be done decently and in order. That is the will of God.