beloved57
03-25-2006, 09:44 AM
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DUTY – RELIGION
“Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
“For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their (Jews) spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” (Romans :27)
“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done ALL those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)
In the realm of natural things, we find many things which apply closely to things in the spiritual realm. In nature, one might have a kindly disposition to help a neighbor perform some needful task. Afterwards, the neighbor feels deep within, that he ought to pay for this service performed, and often will attempt to do so. When this occurs, the one who helped his neighbor willingly, feels embarrassed at such an offer, and modestly declines to accept anything for his services. Surely we have all experienced that awkwardness in our social relationships.
Then again, there are some people so covetous as to expect payment for any and every thing they do for another. In our American culture, when such characters are discovered, they are shunned by all decent men, and seldom are allowed to give help under any circumstances.
Strange, then, is it not, that duty-faith should be found in American religions? They expect God to give payment for His blessings, which He graciously grants, out of His own loving-kindness! And this in spite of the whole of the sacred Scripture that all of His blessings are “by grace”, or unmerited, and undeserved favor!
While the Old Testament records certain “duties” of family members, only twice in the whole volume of the Scripture does the Holy Ghost even use the word duty. In the text cited at the head of this article, the one in Ecclesiastes 12:13 does not have the word in the original Hebrew. The King James translators have added it in italics, in connection with the fearing of God and keeping His commandment. The other two places are also cited above. In Romans 15:27, it has reference to the Gentile believers owing (as the word means) carnal things to the “poor saints at Jerusalem” (vs. 26) for having received from the Jews the spiritual things of the Gospel which went forth from thence. In the other place, duty-faith, as well as a conditional duty-religion, is totally condemned by the Lord in the very context of Luke 17:6 - 10.
In the context of Luke 17, the apostles had come to Jesus with a plea, “Lord, increase our faith.” The Lord’s immediate reply was that if they had the faith of a grain of mustard seed, they might say to a sycamore tree, “be thou plucked up by the root, and be planted in the sea: and it should obey” them. The lesson should be obvious: they, in themselves, had no faith! Yet they desired their faith increased. What faith they had was the “faith of the Son of God,” which faith cannot be increased. It is a free gift of God, and is “dealt to every man by the measure God is pleased to grant. (Romans 12:3)
Our blessed Lord then draws an illustration for them to consider: that is, which one of them having a servant, who after laboring all day in the field, would tell the servant to go sit down to eat; but rather say “serve me”? And then, after serving him, would he say to the servant “thank you for having done as I commanded you”? Then the Lord drove the lesson home to their poor hearts: “. . . likewise YE (His servants)</I>, when ye shall have done ALL those things which are commanded you, say, We are UNPROFITABLE servants: WE have done that which was our duty to do.</I>”
When have we “done our duty”? When we have done ALL the commandments of God! When are we “unprofitable servants”? When we have done our duty!
Now I say, that duty-faith is condemned by the very context wherein the word duty is used by the Holy Ghost. This too, should be obvious to any living child of God. As a servant of Jesus Christ, after you have done all (if you should ever be so well blessed!) he has commanded you, what are you instructed by your Lord to say? — “I am an unprofitable servant.” That has ever been, and shall always be, the acknowledged feelings of a quickened soul. You have not, nor can you, profit the Lord in anything whatever. Your unprofitableness will always be keenly felt, and you’ll find yourself far short of having kept all His commandments. Your very heart’s profession is and shall remain. “Lord, a sinner still!” You will always be conscious that sin is the transgression of the law of God — so how van a violator keep “ALL which are commanded you” and be yet a sinner still!
To obligate the eternal God is an impossibility, and it is strange that this even needs to be pointed out! Shall the thrice-holy God reward one for keeping a commandment now and then, and violating most of them, most of the time? To obligate Him, one must indeed, go beyond all commandments; and not only go beyond them leaving nothing out, but add some meritorious good to Him. The added good becomes the basis for a reward. Duty falls too short to merit rewards and blessings — and, indeed, no sinner has ever done ALL His commandment, which is their duty to do. Then, dear reader, and only until then, shall you merit a single blessing from the most High God. And shall we dare be so bold and arrogant as to even think fleetingly that anything good can be added to the perfections of our God who fills the infinity of the universe and eternity? To even imagine it, is to make bare the foolish ignorance of a finite little creature; for He is an unsearchable and inconceivable Being whose majesty fills the vastness of incomprehensible eternity.
Ah, little worm! Add to him, and thus merit your blessings! Crawl out of your dung-hill, look around, and see what you shall give to him beyond your whole duty! Yea, crawl out, and look and see first, if you are vet a sinner! —for if you are, you have not yet done all which is commanded you. No wonder that lie who fills the vast eternity says of man, and all the aggregate collections of men: “They are nothing and less than nothing, and altogether vanity.” And what is this vanity? The Hebrew word means a “short breath of air” — a puff! So then, what is duty-faith? It is a puff of bad, breath, to say the least, and more cannot be said to make it better, for it must needs be of lesser quality than man who fails to keep the commandments.
But, dear living child of God, what are your own inward feelings of duty-faith? Have you ever prayed thus: “Lord, I’ve kept all your commandments in full. I’ve never transgressed any of them. I’ve honored you wholly. Give, then, what you owe me — a blessing”? No indeed, you have not; nor can you. God will surely keep you from such blasphemy.
How is it to fare under duty-preaching? I’ve been there; yea, even preached it myself (if such foolishness can be termed “preaching.”) When a living child of God daily struggles on, walking worthy of the vocation wherein he is called — then to hear “duty, duty, duty” as a broken record, is extremely frustrating. The soul is not fed, nor is the performance of better works produced. A dryness sets in, and the only thing left is a poor substitute for what the soul yearns to hear. The sociability of the saints is all that is left to enjoy. Strange, too, duty-preachers never get around to being specific as to what they think you ought to be doing, which you are not already doing. No, no — they never can tell you more than to keep God’s commandments, which commandments they themselves have not kept, for they too, are sinners still! Some comfort that!
And what are the commandments of God? “And this is His commandment, that we should BELIEVE on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER, as He gave us commandment.” (I John 3:23) Both portions of the commandment are possessed by every living child of God. Faith in His Son is the gift of God which every believer possesses; and love is also the fruit of the Spirit and a vital part of that everlasting life which each quickened child of grace receives in regeneration. Both are free gifts of God. Both are by grace. But neither go beyond their Giver to be of any utility in obligating God for any blessings in time or eternity.
The children of God are “blessed...with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ACCORDING as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world .... “(Eph. 1:3-4) These blessings are as sure as their election. If it were possible for them to fail in receiving one blessing stored up for them in Christ Jesus; it then is as reasonable to believe that some chosen could miss their eternal inheritance in Christ! In the divine election before the world was created, all things needful and useful for each and every one of those chosen in Him were equally provided for in Him. It is from thence all blessings flow to them. These precious provisions are not ordained of God to produce complacency and neglect; but rather to assure the fulfillment of His promise to them as precious evidences of their calling and election. They are not only ordained to receive them; but also to attain them by the mighty inward work of the Spirit with those good works which accompany them; thus making them effectual to His honor and glory. These are the things that accompany salvation. They do not have a cause and effect relationship, but accompany salvation. Where you find the one, you also find its companion. “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and ‘things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your WORK and LABOUR OF LOVE, which ye have shewed towards His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. ” (Heb. 6:9-10) So we see, then, that true good works are evidences of our gracious estate and companions to God’s blessings given us. They are the effects of living faith rather than effects of duty-faith.
Duty-faith, duty-preaching, and duty-righteousness are necessary only for those who have nothing better imputed to them, or wrought in them, to motivate them to a faithful walking in his commandments. A duty-preacher knows best what sort of people make up his congregation. If he believes them to be dead, lifeless, nominal religionists, then duty-preaching will be necessary to motivate them to act more civilized and social; but it can never do their benighted souls any good. Only a call of God by the Holy Spirit will quicken them to life and a walk of faith and godliness. If they be, in fact, living children of God. they will be forced to go elsewhere to hear the Gospel of free and sovereign grace (which Gospel is according to righteousness), or else have their Duty -minister lay his charge down: for such are not called of God. If they were, they would know the power of God in godliness by the inward work of the Holy Spirit, both in themselves and in their flock. Such duty is a lack of vital living faith. It is fit only for the dead, to make them act as believers should act! The living walk in his blessed Spirit even as they live in His Spirit. Their obedience to His commandments is their constant care, and failure their constant concern. They feelingly know warfare within and recognize their trials and tribulations. They need not the cruel lashing of Egyptian masters to whip them in line; their Heavenly Father chastens them much more effectively, and afterwards comforts them in love and sweet mercy. They thus learn from the Master Teacher all that He freely bestows are for their everlasting good.
Ah, dear lively ones in the hope of eternal salvation, have you not experienced the deadness and burden of all that is associated with duty? I have never found it of any joy, praise, or usefulness in my spiritual battles, devotions, or sojourn in faith. Some years ago, a precious and lovable sister in the faith asked (relative to my infirm wife): “Brother Phillips don’t you feel a great sense of duty to her?” I had never thought about it one way or the other, but my honest answer was: “No! I don’t feel any sense of duty to her. She is my wife, and I love her.” I’ve often thought much about her question and my answer, and my answer remains unchanged. I have often felt a sense of duty in many regards; sufficiently enough to know that feeling. And knowing that feeling, it is to me the most horrible, low, and unbecoming motive to worship the God of Adoration and Praise. I’ve often gone to fill an appointment, feeling so low in my spiritual infirmities, that I would gladly have stayed at home. But I’ve gone out of that horrible sense of duty, and by experience I can testify that it was rottenness to my bones! There is no joy in such service; there is no edification for the poor saints; and for my part, I could have as well stayed at home for the good it was worth (I speak as a man). The resulting feelings were of doubts to my own spiritual state, my own holy calling to the ministry of Christ, and my questioning whether I loved God’s people at all. It is ashes in the soul of a living child of God.
Yet, I do not desire to leave any false impression in the minds of any who do not know us relative to the Gospel utility of admonitions and exhortations. All familiar with us know that from time to time we are made to feel such usefulness of this aspect of the Gospel is called for. But I also hasten to add, that the minister who has been often rebuked and scourged by the Spirit, will apply such admonitions and exhortations predicated upon the effectual grace of God. He will feelingly approach the hearts of his hearers, rather than their heads. His own heart — his love for the poor sheep of Christ’s pasture — will lead him into the secret recesses of the heart’s love and adoration of God as the motive of a worthy walk before God and the household of faith. A minister sound in the doctrine of free grace, exercised deeply and richly by the internal operation of the Spirit, cannot predicate these admonitions and exhortations of the Spirit upon the carnal flesh of his hearers. He, and they, know full well that it is “God which worketh in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure;” and who “hath wrought all our works in us.” Yea, neither we nor they, desire their works to be of the flesh out of a slavish fear of “missing blessings.” (For indeed, there is no such thing — anything missed is not a blessing! Such are mutually exclusive words).
Admonitions and exhortations are useful in encouraging and edifying the believers in their daily journey of faith; if such are, of course, predicated upon the Spirit’s indwelling work, effectual grace, and loving care of His people. Sure it is that “We are HIS workmanship created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath BEFORE ORDAINED (foreordination?) that we should walk in them.” Indeed, it is in this area of our experience that many precious marks of our holy calling are brought to us by the Spirit as sweet evidences of a gracious state. Without such, there would be no evidence of a good tree planted by the Lord.
Nevertheless, these admonitions and exhortations are not designed by the Holy Spirit in order to beat His poor sheep; but rather to feed them. They are not designed for a hearer to latch onto, and trust in, either for salvation or for meritorious blessings. They are designed for correction and instruction in the way of righteousness, and when applied by the Spirit through sanctification, they are sweet and precious motives to believe in a righteousness which exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees— Christ’s own righteousness — which is made manifest by the faith of His living children.
It is lamentable that today, duty-preaching, duty-faith, and duty-righteousness is about the only thing most people ever hear. For those who are living children of God, it is totally contrary to all the precious work of the Holy Spirit wrought in them. It must indeed be a poor and sad condition to live a life time of duty, duty, and more duty. I find nothing but sympathy, yes, even empathy, with those who become “church-drop-outs”. Who knows how many have done so, knowing full well they were better off at home than assembled under such scourging rods and such bleakness of duty-preaching; having no comforting words, no kindred experiences, no encouraging faith. No pure free grace ministry would cause our hearts to faint and despair of living. Take away from me that precious and mighty work of the Spirit within, and words thereof; which purifies my conscience, puts me through trials of faith, and refines me as fuller’s soap, chastens me when needed, lifts me up when in despair, and works all my good works within me for sweet tokens of Christ’s fruit in me; I say, take all that away from me, and surely I would desire to leave this world immediately to be in my everlasting rest. Place before my eyes and ears a duty-fear, and I must indeed have to flee, for it is a garment spotted by the flesh. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” – S.C.P.
The Predestinarian Vol. 2, No. 3
Edit: Written by Stanley Phillips.
DUTY – RELIGION
“Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
“For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their (Jews) spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” (Romans :27)
“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done ALL those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)
In the realm of natural things, we find many things which apply closely to things in the spiritual realm. In nature, one might have a kindly disposition to help a neighbor perform some needful task. Afterwards, the neighbor feels deep within, that he ought to pay for this service performed, and often will attempt to do so. When this occurs, the one who helped his neighbor willingly, feels embarrassed at such an offer, and modestly declines to accept anything for his services. Surely we have all experienced that awkwardness in our social relationships.
Then again, there are some people so covetous as to expect payment for any and every thing they do for another. In our American culture, when such characters are discovered, they are shunned by all decent men, and seldom are allowed to give help under any circumstances.
Strange, then, is it not, that duty-faith should be found in American religions? They expect God to give payment for His blessings, which He graciously grants, out of His own loving-kindness! And this in spite of the whole of the sacred Scripture that all of His blessings are “by grace”, or unmerited, and undeserved favor!
While the Old Testament records certain “duties” of family members, only twice in the whole volume of the Scripture does the Holy Ghost even use the word duty. In the text cited at the head of this article, the one in Ecclesiastes 12:13 does not have the word in the original Hebrew. The King James translators have added it in italics, in connection with the fearing of God and keeping His commandment. The other two places are also cited above. In Romans 15:27, it has reference to the Gentile believers owing (as the word means) carnal things to the “poor saints at Jerusalem” (vs. 26) for having received from the Jews the spiritual things of the Gospel which went forth from thence. In the other place, duty-faith, as well as a conditional duty-religion, is totally condemned by the Lord in the very context of Luke 17:6 - 10.
In the context of Luke 17, the apostles had come to Jesus with a plea, “Lord, increase our faith.” The Lord’s immediate reply was that if they had the faith of a grain of mustard seed, they might say to a sycamore tree, “be thou plucked up by the root, and be planted in the sea: and it should obey” them. The lesson should be obvious: they, in themselves, had no faith! Yet they desired their faith increased. What faith they had was the “faith of the Son of God,” which faith cannot be increased. It is a free gift of God, and is “dealt to every man by the measure God is pleased to grant. (Romans 12:3)
Our blessed Lord then draws an illustration for them to consider: that is, which one of them having a servant, who after laboring all day in the field, would tell the servant to go sit down to eat; but rather say “serve me”? And then, after serving him, would he say to the servant “thank you for having done as I commanded you”? Then the Lord drove the lesson home to their poor hearts: “. . . likewise YE (His servants)</I>, when ye shall have done ALL those things which are commanded you, say, We are UNPROFITABLE servants: WE have done that which was our duty to do.</I>”
When have we “done our duty”? When we have done ALL the commandments of God! When are we “unprofitable servants”? When we have done our duty!
Now I say, that duty-faith is condemned by the very context wherein the word duty is used by the Holy Ghost. This too, should be obvious to any living child of God. As a servant of Jesus Christ, after you have done all (if you should ever be so well blessed!) he has commanded you, what are you instructed by your Lord to say? — “I am an unprofitable servant.” That has ever been, and shall always be, the acknowledged feelings of a quickened soul. You have not, nor can you, profit the Lord in anything whatever. Your unprofitableness will always be keenly felt, and you’ll find yourself far short of having kept all His commandments. Your very heart’s profession is and shall remain. “Lord, a sinner still!” You will always be conscious that sin is the transgression of the law of God — so how van a violator keep “ALL which are commanded you” and be yet a sinner still!
To obligate the eternal God is an impossibility, and it is strange that this even needs to be pointed out! Shall the thrice-holy God reward one for keeping a commandment now and then, and violating most of them, most of the time? To obligate Him, one must indeed, go beyond all commandments; and not only go beyond them leaving nothing out, but add some meritorious good to Him. The added good becomes the basis for a reward. Duty falls too short to merit rewards and blessings — and, indeed, no sinner has ever done ALL His commandment, which is their duty to do. Then, dear reader, and only until then, shall you merit a single blessing from the most High God. And shall we dare be so bold and arrogant as to even think fleetingly that anything good can be added to the perfections of our God who fills the infinity of the universe and eternity? To even imagine it, is to make bare the foolish ignorance of a finite little creature; for He is an unsearchable and inconceivable Being whose majesty fills the vastness of incomprehensible eternity.
Ah, little worm! Add to him, and thus merit your blessings! Crawl out of your dung-hill, look around, and see what you shall give to him beyond your whole duty! Yea, crawl out, and look and see first, if you are vet a sinner! —for if you are, you have not yet done all which is commanded you. No wonder that lie who fills the vast eternity says of man, and all the aggregate collections of men: “They are nothing and less than nothing, and altogether vanity.” And what is this vanity? The Hebrew word means a “short breath of air” — a puff! So then, what is duty-faith? It is a puff of bad, breath, to say the least, and more cannot be said to make it better, for it must needs be of lesser quality than man who fails to keep the commandments.
But, dear living child of God, what are your own inward feelings of duty-faith? Have you ever prayed thus: “Lord, I’ve kept all your commandments in full. I’ve never transgressed any of them. I’ve honored you wholly. Give, then, what you owe me — a blessing”? No indeed, you have not; nor can you. God will surely keep you from such blasphemy.
How is it to fare under duty-preaching? I’ve been there; yea, even preached it myself (if such foolishness can be termed “preaching.”) When a living child of God daily struggles on, walking worthy of the vocation wherein he is called — then to hear “duty, duty, duty” as a broken record, is extremely frustrating. The soul is not fed, nor is the performance of better works produced. A dryness sets in, and the only thing left is a poor substitute for what the soul yearns to hear. The sociability of the saints is all that is left to enjoy. Strange, too, duty-preachers never get around to being specific as to what they think you ought to be doing, which you are not already doing. No, no — they never can tell you more than to keep God’s commandments, which commandments they themselves have not kept, for they too, are sinners still! Some comfort that!
And what are the commandments of God? “And this is His commandment, that we should BELIEVE on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER, as He gave us commandment.” (I John 3:23) Both portions of the commandment are possessed by every living child of God. Faith in His Son is the gift of God which every believer possesses; and love is also the fruit of the Spirit and a vital part of that everlasting life which each quickened child of grace receives in regeneration. Both are free gifts of God. Both are by grace. But neither go beyond their Giver to be of any utility in obligating God for any blessings in time or eternity.
The children of God are “blessed...with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ACCORDING as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world .... “(Eph. 1:3-4) These blessings are as sure as their election. If it were possible for them to fail in receiving one blessing stored up for them in Christ Jesus; it then is as reasonable to believe that some chosen could miss their eternal inheritance in Christ! In the divine election before the world was created, all things needful and useful for each and every one of those chosen in Him were equally provided for in Him. It is from thence all blessings flow to them. These precious provisions are not ordained of God to produce complacency and neglect; but rather to assure the fulfillment of His promise to them as precious evidences of their calling and election. They are not only ordained to receive them; but also to attain them by the mighty inward work of the Spirit with those good works which accompany them; thus making them effectual to His honor and glory. These are the things that accompany salvation. They do not have a cause and effect relationship, but accompany salvation. Where you find the one, you also find its companion. “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and ‘things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your WORK and LABOUR OF LOVE, which ye have shewed towards His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. ” (Heb. 6:9-10) So we see, then, that true good works are evidences of our gracious estate and companions to God’s blessings given us. They are the effects of living faith rather than effects of duty-faith.
Duty-faith, duty-preaching, and duty-righteousness are necessary only for those who have nothing better imputed to them, or wrought in them, to motivate them to a faithful walking in his commandments. A duty-preacher knows best what sort of people make up his congregation. If he believes them to be dead, lifeless, nominal religionists, then duty-preaching will be necessary to motivate them to act more civilized and social; but it can never do their benighted souls any good. Only a call of God by the Holy Spirit will quicken them to life and a walk of faith and godliness. If they be, in fact, living children of God. they will be forced to go elsewhere to hear the Gospel of free and sovereign grace (which Gospel is according to righteousness), or else have their Duty -minister lay his charge down: for such are not called of God. If they were, they would know the power of God in godliness by the inward work of the Holy Spirit, both in themselves and in their flock. Such duty is a lack of vital living faith. It is fit only for the dead, to make them act as believers should act! The living walk in his blessed Spirit even as they live in His Spirit. Their obedience to His commandments is their constant care, and failure their constant concern. They feelingly know warfare within and recognize their trials and tribulations. They need not the cruel lashing of Egyptian masters to whip them in line; their Heavenly Father chastens them much more effectively, and afterwards comforts them in love and sweet mercy. They thus learn from the Master Teacher all that He freely bestows are for their everlasting good.
Ah, dear lively ones in the hope of eternal salvation, have you not experienced the deadness and burden of all that is associated with duty? I have never found it of any joy, praise, or usefulness in my spiritual battles, devotions, or sojourn in faith. Some years ago, a precious and lovable sister in the faith asked (relative to my infirm wife): “Brother Phillips don’t you feel a great sense of duty to her?” I had never thought about it one way or the other, but my honest answer was: “No! I don’t feel any sense of duty to her. She is my wife, and I love her.” I’ve often thought much about her question and my answer, and my answer remains unchanged. I have often felt a sense of duty in many regards; sufficiently enough to know that feeling. And knowing that feeling, it is to me the most horrible, low, and unbecoming motive to worship the God of Adoration and Praise. I’ve often gone to fill an appointment, feeling so low in my spiritual infirmities, that I would gladly have stayed at home. But I’ve gone out of that horrible sense of duty, and by experience I can testify that it was rottenness to my bones! There is no joy in such service; there is no edification for the poor saints; and for my part, I could have as well stayed at home for the good it was worth (I speak as a man). The resulting feelings were of doubts to my own spiritual state, my own holy calling to the ministry of Christ, and my questioning whether I loved God’s people at all. It is ashes in the soul of a living child of God.
Yet, I do not desire to leave any false impression in the minds of any who do not know us relative to the Gospel utility of admonitions and exhortations. All familiar with us know that from time to time we are made to feel such usefulness of this aspect of the Gospel is called for. But I also hasten to add, that the minister who has been often rebuked and scourged by the Spirit, will apply such admonitions and exhortations predicated upon the effectual grace of God. He will feelingly approach the hearts of his hearers, rather than their heads. His own heart — his love for the poor sheep of Christ’s pasture — will lead him into the secret recesses of the heart’s love and adoration of God as the motive of a worthy walk before God and the household of faith. A minister sound in the doctrine of free grace, exercised deeply and richly by the internal operation of the Spirit, cannot predicate these admonitions and exhortations of the Spirit upon the carnal flesh of his hearers. He, and they, know full well that it is “God which worketh in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure;” and who “hath wrought all our works in us.” Yea, neither we nor they, desire their works to be of the flesh out of a slavish fear of “missing blessings.” (For indeed, there is no such thing — anything missed is not a blessing! Such are mutually exclusive words).
Admonitions and exhortations are useful in encouraging and edifying the believers in their daily journey of faith; if such are, of course, predicated upon the Spirit’s indwelling work, effectual grace, and loving care of His people. Sure it is that “We are HIS workmanship created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath BEFORE ORDAINED (foreordination?) that we should walk in them.” Indeed, it is in this area of our experience that many precious marks of our holy calling are brought to us by the Spirit as sweet evidences of a gracious state. Without such, there would be no evidence of a good tree planted by the Lord.
Nevertheless, these admonitions and exhortations are not designed by the Holy Spirit in order to beat His poor sheep; but rather to feed them. They are not designed for a hearer to latch onto, and trust in, either for salvation or for meritorious blessings. They are designed for correction and instruction in the way of righteousness, and when applied by the Spirit through sanctification, they are sweet and precious motives to believe in a righteousness which exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees— Christ’s own righteousness — which is made manifest by the faith of His living children.
It is lamentable that today, duty-preaching, duty-faith, and duty-righteousness is about the only thing most people ever hear. For those who are living children of God, it is totally contrary to all the precious work of the Holy Spirit wrought in them. It must indeed be a poor and sad condition to live a life time of duty, duty, and more duty. I find nothing but sympathy, yes, even empathy, with those who become “church-drop-outs”. Who knows how many have done so, knowing full well they were better off at home than assembled under such scourging rods and such bleakness of duty-preaching; having no comforting words, no kindred experiences, no encouraging faith. No pure free grace ministry would cause our hearts to faint and despair of living. Take away from me that precious and mighty work of the Spirit within, and words thereof; which purifies my conscience, puts me through trials of faith, and refines me as fuller’s soap, chastens me when needed, lifts me up when in despair, and works all my good works within me for sweet tokens of Christ’s fruit in me; I say, take all that away from me, and surely I would desire to leave this world immediately to be in my everlasting rest. Place before my eyes and ears a duty-fear, and I must indeed have to flee, for it is a garment spotted by the flesh. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” – S.C.P.
The Predestinarian Vol. 2, No. 3
Edit: Written by Stanley Phillips.