EXTRACTS

“Everything, whatever ye may do in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus”. This gives us a rule that goes far beyond ‘what is the harm of this or that?’ and is so simple. It comes into any common thing in the day, such as buying a dress. Are you doing it in the name of the Lord Jesus? Can you go to a concert in His name? Of course not. The things may not be wrong, but it settles everything—hundreds of questions that might arise. It gives me as my measure and rule to be walking in Christ, and living for Christ. I have Christ as my life, and He cannot do it ... If I am in earnest, it is the most comfortable rule possible; but if I am not, it pinches dreadfully—because you may say, Am I never to do anything to please myself? Ah, you betray yourself! What a comfort it is to know what He likes!

J. N. Darby (‘Coll. Wrtgs.’, Vol. 34, p.458)

“Without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers”. See the apostle’s wonderful energy with God, and this is one mark of spiritual power, the capacity of keeping up our interest in all saints everywhere, in our soul, in intercession for all saints in every place.

J. N. Darby (‘Coll. Wrtgs.’, Vol. 26, p.29)

He takes Moses up to the mount Sinai, and the first thing He speaks to Moses about is that which was in His heart; the first thing He speaks about to His servant is the ark of the testimony. It was that, that He had in His heart. He looked on to a Man here upon the earth, moving under His eye; every motive of that Man was Godward; every aspiration had God as its object; every movement of His heart had reference to God; that was a delight to God to unfold to Moses the ark. He says, “make an ark of shittim wood” and He gives the dimensions. It was a delight to God to dwell upon those dimensions, to dwell upon that wood, as representing that Man whose every movement of heart had God as its object.

J. Taylor (Vol. 5, p.86)

Ques.

What is the thought in “a living sacrifice”?

F.E.R.

A sacrifice is a thing devoted, and that cannot be recalled; that is to be true of the believer’s body. The proper moral consequence of all that has been unfolded in the epistle (to the Romans) is that you present your body as a vessel for the will of God. The body is to be, not a vessel for the flesh, not for my pleasure, but for God’s pleasure, and that in which the will of God is set forth.

F. E. Raven (Vol. 14, p.172)

The loss of all spiritual blessing through worldliness, so that those who profess to be God’s people are indistinguishable from the world, is a sore affliction. Would to God that it were felt to be so!

C. A. Coates (‘Outline of Deuteronomy’, p.356)

Published by F. C. Mutton, 22 Christchurch Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4QY, England Printed by Crystal Stationery, 22 Western Road, Billericay, Essex, CM12 9DZ, (T) (0277) 650661