Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy, Volume IMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy, Volume I
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Bible. Deuteronomy -- Commentaries
Then as to worldliness, in all its varied forms, how is it to be
overcome? Hear the reply of another inspired apostle.--"For whatsoever
is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" The new
man, walking in the power of faith, lives above the world, above its
motives, above its objects, its principles, its habits, its fashions;
he has nothing in common with it. Though in it, he is not of it; he
moves right athwart its current; he draws all his springs from heaven;
his life, his hope, his all is there, and he ardently longs to be
there himself when his work on earth is done.
Thus we see what a mighty principle faith is. It purifies the heart,
it works by love, and it overcomes the world. In short, it links the
heart in living power with God Himself, and this is the secret of true
elevation, holy benevolence, and divine purity. No marvel, therefore,
that Peter calls it "precious faith," for truly it is precious beyond
all human thought.
See how this mighty principle acted in Caleb, and the blessed fruit it
produced. He was permitted to realize the truth of those words,
uttered hundreds of years afterwards, "According to your faith be it
unto you." He believed that God was able to bring them into the land,
and that all the difficulties and hindrances were simply bread for
faith. And God, as He ever does, answered his faith. "Then the
children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal; and Caleb the son of
Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, 'Thou knowest the thing that the
Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in
Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the
Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought
him word again as it was in my heart'--the simple testimony of a
bright and lovely faith.--'Nevertheless my brethren that went up with
me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed the Lord
my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon
thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's
forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God. And now,
behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, _as He said_, these forty and
five years, ever since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the
children of Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this
day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I
was in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, even so is
my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now
therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day;
for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the
cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then
I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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