Reflections on the
Soul
By Ron
Wilkerson
Good morning dear brothers and sisters. I have been
in much thought and very little prayer as of late. Not a good state to be in I
assure you. My lack of writing to and for you, which is my calling, has been a
blatant act of disobedience arising from other acts of disobedience to my
Father. I could rail on about those questions which have afflicted my soul as
of late but I want to get to a very important point. This point is one that
God's Holy Spirit has reminded me. So here you go, here is what is my heart for
you as you walk this day out.
Have you ever given someone your word that you would
do something and you did not do that which you spoke? I did. Honestly, it is
sad to say but I have done so many times to my own detriment. But there is a
chief word I gave of which I am reminded on this day. As I was reflecting
yesterday, last night, and could not stay asleep this morning; I was reminded of
when and where I was 10 years ago today. Right this moment 10 years ago, I was
with my Brother (Bro) as I affectionately call him and my Mom. Man, it is hard
to hold back my tears right now.
We were in a car, traveling, and what had just
occurred was troubling me to my core. I had been up for 36 hours straight at
this point yet I was not in the least bit tired. Rather, I was worried that one
of my dearest and most loved one's would meet the Lord that day. A dreadful
thought for me at that time purely of my own selfishness. I was taking my Mom
to the hospital for a very dangerous surgery to clip an aneurism that was
abutting her right optical nerve. For anyone unaware, this your optical nerve
resides in the Frontal Eye Fields, located in the Frontal Lobes of the Cerebral
Cortex. First, you are sedated, your hair is shaved, a piece of your skull is
cut (a saw is necessary), then a doctor takes his scalpel and cuts your brain
tissue to the point where he may expose the underlying problem in the brain. No
more, no less.
There is much danger in this type of surgery. Any cut
to your Cerebral Cortex is incredibly dangerous as these frontal lobes of your
brain control attention, thought, voluntary movement, decision-making and
speech. Folks, this was my Mom!!! Some of you reading this may know my mother
but I assure you that you have no idea how close we truly are to one another.
This woman saw me through EVERYTHING and if you knew my LIFE STORY; you would
know that I NEVER DESERVED HER AS MY MOM. For that matter, I don't deserve such
a wonderful Brother, Step-Mother and Father. Yet, I am
blessed!
What does this have to do with a man's word? Well,
after 8 hours of surgery, the doctor came out and spoke with the family. He
told us that we don't know if your Mom suffered ANOTHER stroke during surgery,
she will never see out of her right eye again because he made too much contact
with the optical nerve, and it was as successful as he could have expected.
That said, the anticipation built as we waited for her to first awake.
She eventually awoke and when ask how she was doing,
she was able to move her right hand to signal she was okay; this showed me that
her mental function was intact enough to know I was worried and needed to hear
from my Mom. Do you realize what great strength this took her? How much a
mother cares for her child? This my friends is knocking at death's door and she
still signaled she was okay, all the while I knew damn well what just occurred.
We had no idea of her cognitive abilities or whether or not she would suffer
further strokes. We did not know if she could speak. That could have been her
final day. FINALITY, ARE YOU PREPARED?
As I lay in a shower, far away in another building at
Baptist Hospital, Med Towers II, I spoke to God for the first time in a very
long time. In fact, I made a bargain with God. I said "if you will save my
mothers life, I will give my life completely to you". Yep, it was Halloween
2002, a most evil day if you ask me. Let me ask you, do you believe you a man
can bargain with God? Not me, yet in my emotions I still attempted to do so. I
promised God my very life! God is not human that He should bargain with us; why
would He do this as He is God. I don't believe it is possible but I believe my
heart stirred His heart and He clearly responded to my petitions; these
petitions born of a broken heart fearful of losing one of the most important
people in my life.
Yet, He did perform miracles in my mother, she defied
all of the statistics and what was told to us. She speaks, she is fully capable
of higher functions and thought, and she is fully my Mother today with all her
memory in tact. She is DEFIANT as ever as well I tell you. I love her with all
my heart.
On I go, I told the Lord that "if" He would spare my
Mom's life, I would serve Him and He did. Guess when came calling for me?
November 2, 2002 and it is emblazened in my memory. You see, it was a
miraculous story of how I was called to rebirth in the Lord and I will save that
for later. For now, you need to know, "As a man speaks in His heart, so is
he".
Your words will never be taken back if spoken, so
choose them wisely. There is not such a weapon on the face of this planet which
wields as much power as that of the human tongue! Think about that for one
moment in an age where nuclear weapons are capable of destroying this earth for
over a 1,000 years where life could not exist. The tongue, such a small member
of the body, more powerful than nuclear weaponry?
Yes, it is so. Remember, when God created, He SPOKE!
"Let there be light", "Let man have dominion over the earth" (we blew that
one). Everything was spoken. The Bible reminds us,
James
3:8-10 8
But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless
evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it
we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in
the likeness of God; 10 from the same
mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be
this way.
The Lord made us in His image, He gave us this
powerful gift which was meant to be a blessing to all and for all. Our sin
perverted this gift. Read the whole context of scripture
below,
James
3:1-18 1
Let not many of you
become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter
judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many
ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to
bridle the whole body as well. 3 Now if we
put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their
entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships
also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still
directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.
5 So also the tongue is a small part of
the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
6 And the tongue is
a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that
which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is
set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of
reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human
race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and
full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and
with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10
from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My
brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11
Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and
bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my
brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce
fresh. 13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by
his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish
ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes
down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder
and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom
from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and
good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18
And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those
who make peace.
Again,
take very special care of this small member within you, for it can bless and
curse in one sentence. I am keeping my Word in obedience to the Lord. It is
most important that you do so.
You
should ask yourselves something today in regards to your relationship with
Christ. The question is simple. Are you a pretender or are you a real follower
of Jesus? Be very careful not to answer this too quickly. Much perversion has
occurred so that misunderstanding is in our midst. The understanding being one
that the enemy of your soul greatly delights.
I will now provide you some
literature which is not my own, but that of Charles H. Spurgeon, and you need
reflect on this my friends. Let me leave you with some scripture before you
read his words. It is scripture relevant today as both you
and I will soon see the Lord appear to take us home to be with Him in heaven, if
indeed we are any of His at all.
Revelation
3:14-22 14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness,
the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
15
'I know your deeds, that you are neither
cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 'So because you are
lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
17 'Because you
say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do
not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and
naked, 18 I
advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and
white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your
nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you
may see. 19 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be
zealous and repent. 20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My
voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he
with Me. 21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on
My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 'He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "
This my friends is the danger. You live in an age where
the messages and lectures preached below are NO LONGER HEARD, TRUE DOCTRINE!
These are no longer practiced by and large. Take heed!
NOW!
"Lectures to Professing Christians" -Charles
Spurgeon
A man may even feel an approbation of an abstract truth. This is what many persons suppose to be faith the approbation which they feel for the character and government of God, and for the plan of salvation, when viewed abstractedly. Many persons, when they hear an eloquent sermon on the attributes or government of God, are set all in a glow at the excellency displayed, when they have not a particle of true faith. I have heard of an infidel, who would be moved even to ecstasy at such themes. The rational mind is so constituted that it naturally and necessarily approves of truth when viewed abstractedly.
The wickedest devils in hell love it, if they can see it without its relation to themselves. If they could see the gospel without any relation that interferes with their own selfishness, they would not only see it to be true, but would heartily approve of it. All hell, if they could view God in his absolute existence, without any relation to themselves, would heartily approve his character. The reason why wicked men and devils hate God is, because they see him in relation to themselves. Their hearts rise up in rebellion, because they see him opposed to their selfishness.
Here is the source of a grand delusion among men in regard to religion. They see, it to be, true, and they really rejoice in contemplating it; they do not enter into its relation to themselves, and so they love to hear such preaching, and say they are fed by it. But mark! They go away and do not practice. See that man! he is sick, and his feelings are tender. In view of Christ, as a kind and tender Savior, his heart melts and he feels strong emotions of approbation towards Jesus Christ. Why? For the very same reasons that he would feel strong emotions toward the hero of a romance. But he does not obey Christ. He never practices one thing out of obedience to Christ, but views him abstractedly, and is delighted with his glorious and lovely character, while he himself remains in the gall of bitterness. Thus it is apparent that your faith must be an efficient faith, such as regulates your practice and produces good works, or it is not the faith of the gospel, it is no real faith at all.
Again. It is further manifest that you are deceiving yourselves, because all true religion consists in obedience. And therefore, however much you may approve of Christianity, you have no religion unless you obey it. In saying that all religion consists in obedience, I do not mean outward obedience. But faith itself, true faith, work by love, and produces corresponding action. There is no real obedience but the obedience of the heart; love is the fulfilling of the law; and religion consists in the obedience of the heart, with a corresponding course of life. The man, therefore, who hears the truth, and approves it, and does not practice it, deceiveth himself. He is like the man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of a man he was.
Again. That state of mind which you mistake for religion, an intellectual conviction of truth, and approval of it in the abstract, so far from being evidence that you pious, is as common to the wicked as to be good, whenever they can be brought to look at it abstractedly. This is the reason why it is often so difficult to convince sinners that they are opposed to God and his truth. Men are so constituted that they do approve of virtue, and do admire the character and government of God, and would approve and admire every truth in the Bible, if they could view it abstractedly, and without any relation to themselves. And when they sit under preaching that holds up the truth in such a way, that it has not much of a practical bearing on themselves, they may sit for years and never consider that they are opposed to God and his government.
And I am more and more persuaded, that great multitudes are to be found in all our congregations, where the abstract doctrines of the gospel are much preached, who like the preaching and like to hear about God, and all these things, and yet are unconverted. And no doubt multitudes of them get into the churches, because they love orthodox preaching, when, after all, it is manifest that they are not doers of the word. And here is the difficulty; they have not had that searching preaching that made them see the truth in its bearing on themselves. And now they are in the church, whenever the truth is preached in its practical relation to them, they show the enmity of their hearts unchanged, by rising up in opposition to truth.
They took it for granted that they were Christians, and so joined the church, because they could hear sound doctrinal preaching and approve of it, or because they read the Bible and approved of it.
If their faith be not so practical as to influence their conduct, if they do not view the truth in its relation to their own practice, their faith does not affect them so much as the FAITH OF THE DEVIL.
REMARKS
1. Great injury has been done by false representations regarding the wickedness of real Christians.A celebrated preacher, not long since, is said to have given this definition of a Christian "A little grace and a great deal of devil." I utterly deny this definition. It is false and ruinous. A great deal is said that makes an impression that real Christians are the wickedest beings of the face of the earth. It is true that when they do sin, they incur great guilt. For a Christian to sin is highly criminal. And it is also true that enlightened Christians see in their sins great wickedness. When they compare their obligations with their lives, they are greatly humbled, and express their humility in very strong language. But it is not true that they are as bad as the devil, or anywhere in the neighborhood of it. This is perfectly demonstrable. When they do sin, their sins have great aggravation, and appear extremely wicked in the sight of God. But to suppose that men are real Christians while they live in the service of the devil, and have little of even the appearance of religion, is a sentiment that is not only false but of very dangerous tendency. It is calculated to encourage all that class of hypocrites who are Antinomians, and to encourage backsliders, as well as to do a great injury to the cause of Christ in the estimation of scorners. The truth is those who do not obey God are not Christian. The contrary doctrine is ruinous to the churches, by filling them up with multitudes whose claim to piety depends on their adoption of certain notions, while they never heartily intended to obey the requirements of the gospel in their lives.
2. Those who are so much more zealous for doctrines than for practice, and who lay much more stress on that class of doctrines which relate to God than on that class which relate to their own conduct, are Antinomians.
There are many who will receive that class of the doctrines of the Bible that relate to God and approve and love them, who have not a particle of religion. Those who are never "fed," as they call it, on any preaching but that of certain abstract points of doctrine, are Antinomians. They are the very persons against whom the apostle James wrote this epistle. They make religion to consist in a set of notions, while they do not lead holy lives.
3. That class of professors of religion who never like to hear about God or his attributes, or mode of existence, the Trinity, decrees, election, and the like, but lay all stress in religious practice to the exclusion of religious doctrine, are pharisees.
They make great pretensions to outward piety, and perhaps to inward flights of emotion of a certain poetical cast, while they will not receive the great truths that relate to God, but deny the fundamental doctrines of the gospel.
4. The proper end and tendency of all right doctrine, when truly believed, is to produce correct practice.
Wherever you find a man's practice heretical, you may be sure his belief is heretical too. The faith that he holds in his heart is just as heretical as his life. He may not be heretical in his notions and theories. He may be right there, even on the very points where he is heretical in practice. But he does not really believe it.
For illustration: See that careless sinner there, grasping wealth, and rushing headlong in the search for riches. Does that man truly believe he is ever going to die? Perhaps you will say, he knows he must die. But I say, while he is in this attitude, he does not actually believe he is ever going to die. The subject is one which is not before his thoughts at all. And thus it is, therefore, impossible that he should believe it in his utter thoughtlessness. To ask him if he expect ever to die, and he will reply, "O yes, I know I must die; all men are mortal." As soon as he turns his thoughts to it, he assents to the truth. And if you could fasten the conviction on his mind till he is really and permanently impressed with it, he would infallibly change his conduct, and live for another world instead of this. It is just so in religion; whatever a man really believes is just as certain to control his practice as that the will governs the conduct.
5. The church has for a long time acted too much on the Antinomial policy.
She has been sticklish for the more abstract doctrines, and left the more practical too much out of view. She has laid greater stress on orthodoxy in those doctrines that are not practical, than in those that are practical. Look at the creeds of the church, and see how they all lay the main stress on those doctrines that have little relation to our practice. A man may be the greatest heretic on points of practice, provided he is not openly profane and vicious, and yet maintain a good standing in the church, whether his life corresponds with the gospel or not. Is not this monstrous? And hence we see that when it is attempted to purify the church in regard to practical errors, she cannot bear it. Why else is it that so much excitement is produced by attempting to clear the church from participation in sins of intemperance, and Sabbath-breaking, and slavery? Why is it so difficult to induce the church to do anything effectual for the conversion of the world? Oh, when shall the church be purified, or the world converted? Not till it is a settled point, that heresy in practice is the proof of heresy in belief. Not while a man may deny the whole gospel in his practice every day, and yet maintain his standing in the church as a good Christian.
6. See how a minister may be deceived in regard to the state of his congregation.
He preaches a good deal on the abstract doctrines, that do not immediately relate to practice, and his people say they are fed, and rejoice in it, and he thinks they are growing in grace, when in fact it is no certain sign that there is any religion among them. It is manifest that this is not certain evidence. But if when he preaches practical doctrines, his people show that they love the truth in relation to themselves, and show it by practicing it, then they give evidence of real love to the truth.
If a minister find that his people love abstract doctrinal preaching, but that when he comes to press the practical doctrines they rebel, he may be sure that if they have any religion, it is in a low state; and if he find, on fair trial, that he cannot bring them up to it, so as to receive practical doctrine, he may be satisfied they have not a particle of religion, but are a mere company of Antinomians, who think they can go to heaven on a dead faith in abstract orthodoxy.
7. See what a vast multitude of professors of religion there are who are deceiving themselves.
Many suppose they are Christians from the emotions they feel in view of the truth, when in fact what they receive is truth presented to their minds in such a way that they do not see its bearing on themselves. If you bring the truth so to bear on them, as to destroy their pride and cut them off from their worldliness, such professors resist it. Look abroad upon the church. See what a multitude of orthodox churches and orthodox Christians live and feed upon the abstract doctrines of religion from year to year.
Then look farther at their lives, and see how little influence their professed belief has upon their practice. Have they saving faith? It cannot be. I do not mean to say that none of these church members are pious, but I do say that those who do not adopt in practice what they admit in theory who are hearers of the word but not doers deceive themselves.
Inquire now how many of you really believe the truths you hear preached. I have proposed to preach a course of "practical" lectures. I do not mean that I shall preach lectures that have no doctrine in them. That is not preaching at all. But what I desire is, to see whether you will, as a church, do what you believe to be true. If I do not succeed in convincing you that any doctrine I may maintain is really true, that is another affair. That is reason enough why you should not do it. But if I do succeed in proving from the scriptures, and convincing your understanding, that it is true, and yet you do not practice it, I shall then have the evidence before my own eyes what your character is, and no longer deceive myself with the idea that this is a Christian church.
Are you conscious that the gospel is producing a practical effect upon you, according to your advancement in knowledge? Is it weaning you from the world? Do you find this to be your experience, that when you receive any practical truth into your minds you love it, and love to feel its application to yourself, and take pleasure in practicing it? If you are not growing in grace, becoming more and more holy, yielding yourselves up to the influence of the gospel, you are deceiving yourselves. How is it now with you who are elders of this church? How is it with you who are heads of families all of you? When you hear a sermon, do you seize hold of it and take it home to you, and practice it? Or do you receive it into your minds, and approve of it, and never practice it? Woe to that man who admits the truth, and yet turns away and does not practice it, like the man beholding his natural face in a glass turning away and forgetting what manner of man he was.
Lectures to Professing Christians.