Adventures in the Land of CanaanBerry, R. L. (Robert Lee)
Religion
Adventures in the Land of Canaan
Berry, R. L. (Robert Lee)
Christian life
5. It is rather hard to divide impatience into a just impatience and an
unjust impatience. The point may be too fine for definition, but Scripture
and experience both prove that sanctification does not make one perfectly
patient. In fact, who should judge as to what perfect patience is if it
were a possible attainment? Sanctification does make us patient. The
constant ruffling of soul over untoward events stops. We grow patient. We
trust God. We wait and hope. But we read that "tribulation worketh
patience" (Romans 5:3); so hard experiences make us patient, that is, if
we bear them. James says, "The trying of your faith worketh patience"
(James 1:3). So what tribulations and trials work is not completely done
by the Spirit when we are sanctified.
6. It used to be said by some that sanctification destroyed social
instincts to the point of making social diversions distasteful. It seems
very hard to disentangle the true state of holiness from asceticism.
Once, holy men were supposed to be dead to social enjoyments--they would
not marry, they would not wear ordinary clothing, they would not associate
on a common plane with their fellows. But Jesus did not live that way.
He made wine for a marriage feast; He ate dinner at a rich Pharisee's
house; He enjoyed being at Martha's home. John leaned on His bosom at
the last supper. Jesus was no ascetic.
Sanctification lifts social contact to its highest level. Brilliant
conversation on a plane of purity is as enjoyable to holy people as to
others. Figures of speech, puns, and riddles may mark the conversation
of holy people as well as others. Yet their talk does not descend to the
vulgar, frivolous, giddy, jay chatter of the wicked. As is said of
conversation, so may be said of parties and picnics, which are names for
outings or gatherings of various kinds at which refreshments may or may
not be served. Should God's children be debarred from these pleasurable
associations because the world goes too far in them?
7. Sanctification does not destroy sex impulses, but it does ennoble
them and bring them under control. Hence the drawing of natures to each
other is common to all, and courtship and marriage are honorable, as
Paul said.
8. Since sanctified persons can appropriately feel pleasure at words of
appreciation, so can they feel hurt at slights and impositions heaped
on them by others. Perhaps the dividing line between what is right and
what is wrong in this matter is this: so long as one feels hurt but does
not feel like hurting in return, he may be safe; but when one is hurt
and then feels the retaliating spirit which boils over in anger, that
one feels the mark of an unsanctified soul. We may be hurt, but we also
commit and trust it to God.
9. Joy is not always overflowing in the hearts of the sanctified. Heavy
trials will produce a heaviness of spirit (1 Peter 1:6-9).
These trials are profitable, really indispensable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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