“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.”—Col 1:23.
First. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith.
Second. The best way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded.
First. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith.
It is the apostle’s prayer, 1 Pet. 5:10, “The God of all grace establish, strengthen, settle you.” That is, that they might not be meteors in the air, but fixed stars. The apostle Jude speaks of “wandering stars” in verse 13. They are called wandering stars, because, as Aristotle says, “They do leap up and down, and wander into several parts of the heaven; air being but dry exhalations, not made of that pure celestial matter as the fixed stars are, they often fall to the earth.” Now, such as are not settled in religion, will, at one time or other, prove wandering stars; they will lose their former steadfastness, and wander from one opinion to another. Such as are unsettled are of the tribe of Reuben, “unstable as water,” Gen. 49:4; like a ship without ballast, overturned with every wind of doctrine. Beza writes of one Belfectius, that his religion changed as the moon. The Arians had every year a new faith. These are not pillars in the temple of God, but reeds shaken every way. The apostle calls them “damnable heresies.” 2 Pet. 2:1. A man may go to hell as well for heresy as adultery. To be unsettled in religion argues want of judgment. If their heads were not giddy, men would not reel so fast from one opinion to another. Read the rest of this entry »
“But this I say, brethren, the time is short.” (1 Corinthians 7:29)
The blessed Apostle in these words shows us what our station in the world is, and what all our secular enjoyments are. They are short and transient. “But this I say, brethren, the time is short.” The text consists of two parts:
1. A kind address—”Brethren.”
2. A seasonable admonition—”The time is short.”
1. A kind address—”Brethren.” The saints of God are brethren. They are cemented together with the blood of Christ. Then let there be no strife among them, seeing they are brethren (Genesis 13:8). Believers are regenerated by the same Spirit; they have the same promises; and wear the same garment—Christ’s righteousness. They sit at the same board—the table of the Lord; and partake of the same glory—the inheritance in light (Colossians 1:12). Should they not love one another? There ought to be no contending among God’s people—but as to who would love most.
Satan foments discord and warms himself at the fire of men’s passions. If he cannot divide the spiritual members from their Head, he will endeavor to make them smite one against another. If he cannot keep the saints from heaven, he will endeavor to make them fight with one another along the way.
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