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Be
Ye Doers Of The Word
I want to remind you again that the
mission of this little volume is to teach you how to live.
The life beyond depends on the life here. Let me emphasize
what I have repeatedly said before: to live as we should,
we must live by every word of God. To live by every word
of God is not only to hear it but also to do it. We have
learned that, in order to enter the city of God and eat of
the tree of life, we must do His commandments, and also
that it is not "every one that saith, Lord, Lord,
that shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven."
Now I shall read you a text from
the Epistle of James, "But be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." We
are living in a careless age. The Word of God is being
treated with neglect. Many are hearing it, but alas! how
few are doing it! In this way people deceive themselves.
They think they are on their way to heaven, when they are
not. The only way to heaven is by doing the commandments.
To illustrate this I will refer you to a few texts.
"If shine enemy hunger feed him." Rom. 12:20.
"Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn
to him the other also." Matt. 5:39. "And as ye
would that men should do to you, do ye also to them
likewise." Luke 6:31. If it comes most natural for us
to live according to these texts, we can begin to conclude
that our hearts are right with God. However, we must have
a heart that does not rebel against any text in the Bible.
We are exhorted earnestly by the
apostle Peter to make our "calling and election
sure." The only way to do so is to live to every word
of God. Oh, my dear reader, those sweet hopes you have had
of reaching heaven and of seeing Jesus and those dear
loved ones who have gone before you to that other side
will never be realized by you unless you be a diligent
doer of the Word of God. I feel like warning you against
all carelessness and neglect, and to keep yourselves in
the love of God. See that your heart and life reads each
day as the Bible reads, and you will then have an unshaken
foundation for your faith and hope. If you would know how
to live, and make the best of life, read the Bible much
and conform your life to its teaching.
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