Old paths, where the good way is. Timeless truth from the Bible, Christian teaching, thought and meditations from prior times, read by missionary to Africa, James Robinette. Reflections, Christian meditations compiled by James Robinette, missionary to Africa, number 39. Jesus could not sin, but he was able to be tempted. Satan tempted him to disobey the Father through self-gratification, self-display, and self-aggrandizement. Matthew 4, verses 1 through 11. And the temptation to retreat from the cross was constant. Luke 22, verse 28. Matthew 16, verse 23. And Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane. Being human, Jesus could not conquer temptation without a struggle, but being divine, it was his nature to do his Father's will. John 5 verses 19 and 30. And therefore to resist and fight temptation until he had overcome it. Since his human nature was conformed to his divine nature, it was impossible that he should fail in the course of his resistance. It was inevitable that he would endure temptations to the end, feeling their entire force and emerge victorious for his people. From Gethsemane, we know how acute and agonizing his struggles were. The happy result for us is that because he himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2 verse 18 from the New Geneva Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1995. 40. We need love to bind us to each other as well as a divine love in our work for the lost around us. Do we not often undertake a great deal of work just as men undertake the work of philanthropy? from a natural spirit of compassion for others? Do we not often undertake Christian work because our minister or friend asks us to, or because we see the need and respond out of duty or obligation and yet without having had a baptism of love? People often ask, what is the baptism of fire? I have answered that I know no fire like the fire of God. the fire of everlasting love that consumed the sacrifice on Calvary. The baptism of love is what the Church needs. To receive it, we must begin at once to get down upon our faces before God in confession and plead, Lord, let love from heaven flow down into my heart. I am yielding my life to pray and live as one who has surrendered himself so that the everlasting love can dwell in me and fill me. Yes, if the love of God were in our hearts, what a difference it would make. There are many who say, I work for Christ and I feel I could work much more, but I do not have the gift. I do not know how or where to begin. I do not know what I can do. Brother, sister, ask God to baptize you with the spirit of love and love will find its way. Love is a fire that will burn through every difficulty. God, fill us with love. Without love, we cannot do our work. May God baptize our ministers, our missionaries, our Sunday school teachers, and our young people with compassionate love. It is only love that can enable us for the work of intercession. I have said before that love must enable us for our work. And do you know what is the hardest and yet the most important work? It is the work of intercession, the work of going to God and taking time to lay hold on Him. A man may be a diligent believer, an eager pastor, a faithful follower, but how often must he confess that he knows very little of what it is to wait upon God. May God give us that great gift of an intercessory spirit a spirit of prayer and supplication. Let me ask you to make it a habit not to let another day pass without praying for God's people." From Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray, 1828-1917, who served as a missionary pastor in South Africa. 41. I say then, in the first place, that a scriptural view of sin is one of the best antidotes to that vague, dim, misty, hazy kind of theology which is so painfully current in the present age. It is vain to shut our eyes to the fact that there is a vast quantity of so-called Christianity nowadays, which you cannot declare positively unsound, but which nevertheless is not full measure, good weight and 16 ounces to the pound. It is a Christianity in which there is undeniably something about Christ and something about grace and something about faith and something about repentance and something about holiness, but it is not the real thing as it is. Job 26 verse 3 in the Bible. things that are out of place and out of proportion. As old Latimer would have said, it is a kind of mingle-mangle and does no good. It neither exercises influence on daily conduct, nor comforts in life, nor gives peace in death, and those who hold it often awake too late to find that they have got nothing solid under their feet. Now I believe that the likeliest way to cure and mend this defective kind of religion is to bring forward more prominently the old scriptural truth about the sinfulness of sin. People will never set their faces decidedly towards heaven and live like pilgrims until they really feel that they are in danger of hell. Let us all try to revive the old teachings about sin in nurseries, in schools, in training colleges, in universities. Let us not forget that the law is good if we use it lawfully and that by the law is the knowledge of sin. 1 Timothy 1 verse 8, Romans 3 verse 20, Romans 7 verse 7. Let us bring the law to the front and press it on men's attention. Let us expound and beat out the Ten Commandments and show the length, the breadth, and depth, and height of their requirements. This is the way our Lord, in the Sermon on the Mount, did. We cannot do better than follow His plan. We may depend upon it. Men will never come to Jesus and stay with Jesus and live for Jesus unless they really know why they are to come and what is their need. Those whom the Spirit draws to Jesus are those whom the Spirit has convinced of sin. Without thorough conviction of sin, men may seem to come to Jesus and follow Him for a season, but they will soon fall away and return to the world. From Holiness, Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots by Bishop J.C. Ryle, 42 Secondly, there was mactation, or slaying of the sacrifice, which was in his death as it was bloody. Herein consisted the essence and substance of the sacrifice. Herein he offered himself unto God, for although the other acts of sprinkling the blood and burning the carcass of the sacrifice, or its oblation, were in the typical sacrifices distinct from the slaying of it, Yet this was by reason of the imperfection of all persons and things that were made use of in that sacred service. Hence, many distinct acts succeeding one another among them were necessary. In the Lord Christ, by reason of the perfection of his person, and that he himself was both priest and sacrifice, things were done at once which were separately by them represented. Wherefore, in the very death of Christ, in and by his bloodshedding, he offered himself unto God. In the pouring out of his blood, the heavenly altar of his body was sprinkled, and all heavenly things purified, even with this better sacrifice." Hebrews 9 verse 23. Thus is he said to pour out his soul unto death. Isaiah 53 verse 12. That expression contains the whole nature of a sacrifice. For his soul is said to be poured out unto death with respect unto the pouring of the blood. For in it was the life poured out. The blood being given to make atonement because the life was in it. From an exposition of Hebrews by John Owen 1616 through 1683. 43. Hypocrites love to share with Christ in his happiness, but they don't love to share with Christ in his holiness. They are willing to be redeemed by Christ, and they are not cordially willing to submit to the law and government of Christ. They are willing to be saved by his blood, but they are not willing to submit to his scepter Hypocrites love the privileges of the gospel, but they don't love the services of the gospel, especially those that are most inward and spiritual. But now, a sincere Christian, he owns Christ in all his offices. He accepts of him not only as Christ Jesus, but as a Lord Jesus. He embraces him not only as a saving Christ, but also as a ruling Christ. The Colossians received him as Christ Jesus the Lord, Colossians 2, verse 6. And they received a Lord Christ as well as a saving Christ. They received Christ as a king upon his throne as well as a sacrifice upon his cross, 2 Corinthians 4, verse 5. God the Father in the gospel tenders a whole Christ. We preach Christ Jesus the Lord, and accordingly, a sincere Christian receives a whole Christ. He receives Christ Jesus the Lord, Acts 5 verse 31. A hypocrite is all for a saving Christ, for a sin-pardoning Christ, for a soul-glorifying Christ, but regards not a ruling Christ, a reigning Christ, a commanding Christ, a sanctifying Christ, and this at last will prove his damning sin. John 3 verses 19 and 20 from Hypocrites and Christ by Thomas Brooks 1608 through 1680.