Part 16

6. _Hatred._ Hatred is a sin of the disposition. It is an attitude of the heart. It is the state of being an enemy. This term describes aversions and antipathies which are opposed to brotherly kindness and love.

I’m not sure that these words were intended to be arranged in logical order, but I do believe we can see some sequential significance in the order of the word hatred and the three which follow just as we did in the first four.

7. _Variance._ This word means contentions. It is hatred in action, manifesting itself in contests, altercations, lawsuits, and disputes in general.

8. _Emulations._ This word signifies envious and contentious rivalry or jealousy, which often are associated with hatred and variance. Jealousy is strife to excel at the expense of another. It is destructive, not constructive. When you are jealous you try to pull the other man down in order to get above him. But you can’t do it! In the effort to injure another you sink lower yourself.

9. _Wrath._ This is the climax of the last four words. Wrath is hatred in violent action. It consists of turbulent passions which disturb the harmony of mind and produce domestic and civic broils and disquietudes. (Once I used Jiggs and Maggie of comic strip fame as an example of wrath when they were throwing pots and pans at each other, but someone corrected me by saying that Jiggs never threw any, they all came from the other direction! But anyway the point of the illustration was clear.) When hatred, variance, and jealousy break out into violent action, that’s what is described by the word wrath. Herod’s jealousy became wrath when he killed the babes of Bethlehem in an effort to destroy Jesus.

These last four are sins of the disposition. In some instances they are committed, especially the first three, by people who come to worship every Sunday and pass as devoted Christians. But friends, I want you to see what ugly company they are keeping. They are classed by the Holy Spirit right along with idolatry, adultery, uncleanness, and lasciviousness. That’s mighty bad company, isn’t it? We are inclined to be more tolerant of sins of the disposition than of sins of immorality, but we’d better be very careful how we appraise sins without Biblical authority. God has put them all in the same catalogue, and therefore sins like hatred and jealousy will send you to hell just as quickly as idolatry or adultery. If you’re guilty of any of them, you must repent before you can go to heaven for people who continue in the work of the flesh cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

10. _Strife, Seditions, Heresies._ The word “strife” represents a courting of distinction, a desire to put one’s self forward, contention and wranglings with a partisan and factious spirit which tends to result in division. The word “sedition” suggests the act of dividing. It means dissension. The word “heresies” applies to the parties or sects arising from diversity of opinion and aims.

Note, therefore, that division is condemned in every stage of its development. The disputing, arguing, wrangling, and vanity which lead to it are condemned by the word strife. The act of separating into parties is condemned by the word “divisions” or “seditions,” and the parties themselves are condemned after they occur by the word “heresies.” Again I call your attention to the fact that God puts these sins in the category of fornication and adultery. The very disposition to divide is wrong; the act of dividing is wrong; and the parties and sects which result from the division are likewise wrong. Division is evil from beginning to end. It is a work of the flesh and all of those who are guilty of it, who encourage it, who endorse it, or who support it, morally or financially, will be condemned as following the flesh rather than following the spirit.

11. _Envying._ This is another sin of the disposition. The best definition I have found of envying is this: “Pain felt, and malignity conceived, at the sight of excellence or happiness.” Did you ever notice someone who is happier than you or more successful than you, and as a result feel some sort of pain within you, or some sort of uneasiness? Well, that’s envy. It is pain felt or malignancy conceived at the sight of happiness or success on the part of another.

After reading in some religious paper a glowing report of a very successful meeting, a preacher may have a strange feeling of discontent or chagrin which self-analysis would show to be the result of his natural (fleshly) reaction to the success of a brother evangelist. Is not this a case of envy? Is it not a work of the flesh? Can those who do such things enter the kingdom of God?

Preachers are not the only ones who are tempted to envy each other. Business men, doctors, school teachers, young people in their social relationships may all be guilty of this sin and must guard against it. If you cannot see your boy friends or your girl friends be more popular or successful than you without having a feeling of uneasiness and a disposition to harm them in some way, then you are guilty of the sin of envy, and a murderer can come just as nearly going to heaven as one who is guilty of envy. Because they are both works of the flesh and stand condemned by Jehovah.

12. _Murder._ We don’t need to comment upon the word “murder.” You know what it means. You can be guilty of murder at heart. The Bible says, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15).

13. _Drunkenness._ Everybody knows what this sin is. It’s the work of the flesh, and those who are guilty of it will be lost. And there’s only one way to be absolutely certain that you won’t get drunk—just don’t drink of anything that’s intoxicating. If you never take the first drink of beer, if you never take the first cocktail or sip of whiskey, then you’ll never get drunk. But if you do take the first one, you don’t know what may happen.

14. _Revelings._ Reveling signifies lascivious feasting with obscene songs and music, feasts and drinking-parties which are continued until late at night with unclean songs, dissolute conduct, and boisterous merrymaking. Those occasions when people turn themselves loose and do not observe proper restraints of natural desires, are occasions of revelry. Remember “that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

III The Fruits of the Spirit

In contrast with the works of the flesh let us look at the fruits of the Spirit. They are the fruits which will be produced in the life of one who is following in the Spirit. They are the characteristics which will adorn the life of one who obeys God. I want you to notice how attractive these are. I want you to see how beautiful this list is.

1. _Love._ Love for God, for your brother, for your neighbor, and even love for your enemy is a fruit of the Spirit.

2. _Joy._ God expects his people to be joyous. Paul said, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord” (Phil. 1:1). “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). Again we read, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4). As Christian people, those who are following the Spirit are full of joy. People who are trying to follow the Spirit and the flesh both are not full of joy. But those who are truly following the Spirit are joyful, because joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit.

3. _Peace._ Peace—peace with God, with one’s self, and usually with most, if not all, one’s fellowmen—is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. The calm, quiet, order, and hope which abide in the heart of a Christian are more precious than gold. The sinner has doubts, fears, alarms, and dreadful forebodings.

4. _Longsuffering._ People who follow the Spirit are patient; they are not easily provoked; they bear the troubles and difficulties of life without murmuring or repining and submit cheerfully to every dispensation of God’s providence.

5. _Gentleness._ One who is harsh and unkind is lacking in this fruit of the Spirit. It has been said that to be gentle means to always do and say the kindest things in the kindest way.

6. _Goodness._ This means uprightness of heart and life—a constant desire and diligent effort, not only to abstain from every form of evil, but also to do good to the bodies and souls of all men.

7. _Faith._ The word faith is here used in the sense of fidelity, the character of one who can be depended upon to keep all his promises, to meet all of his obligations, and to be true to every relationship.

8. _Meekness._ Meekness is likewise a fruit of the Spirit. It is the very opposite of anger. Moses was called a meek man. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” And although Christ was brave and uncompromising, he was nevertheless one of the very meekest of men.

9. _Temperance._ Temperance means self-control. Remember this very chapter says, “Ye cannot do the things that ye would.” You cannot give free expression unto the passions of your body. Your body must be buffeted and brought into subjection as Paul did with his. We must learn to exercise self-control and to make ourselves do that which we know we ought to do.

These are the fruits of the Spirit. They are the characteristics that should be developed in your life if you are a Christian. I just want you to look at these two pictures—the fruit of the Spirit on the one hand and the works of the flesh on the other. They are contrasted in every sense of the word. They are incompatible and antagonistic. To the extent you have one you fail to possess the other.

Let me ask you this question: Do you believe the fruit of the Spirit will make anybody unpopular? Sometimes when people are unpopular and are being persecuted they say, “Oh, well, those who live Godly lives are to be persecuted.” That’s true. The Bible teaches it (2 Tim. 3:12). But I’m afraid that very often our persecution comes from other causes. We might be suffering because we have hatred, jealousy, and envy, and not because we have the Spirit of Christ. Before you take pride in your persecution you’d better examine the source of it. It might be coming from the wrong side of the fence.

Those who follow the Spirit are a living rebuke to those who fail to do so, and as such they will receive some degree of persecution. But I also contend that everybody in this world will have to admire a person who has the fruits of the Spirit in his life. His character presents a beautiful picture to all who know him. You just can’t help admiring him. Let us be very careful then about the cause of our persecution.

But I promised to talk to you about “And So Forth” or “And Such Like.” After the apostle Paul had finished naming the works of the flesh he said, “and such like.” He said that there were some things like those named which also belong in the same classification. Now suppose you were requested this morning to come forward and list in this blank column some things that are like those Paul named. What would you put in this column? There must be _some_ things like these. The Bible says there are some things like them. Otherwise, there would have been no sense in saying “and such like.” What are those things which are like the ones named by Paul? The Bible itself mentions some others that could be put in this class. For instance, lying is a work of the flesh. It could certainly be included in the “and so forth” of Paul’s list.

But now I want to put some words in this blank column, and leave it up to you to decide whether they belong under the Fruit of the Spirit or the Works of the Flesh. From this point on, I’m going to let you preach this sermon. It’ll be your sermon from here on out. I shall not tell you where I think these words belong. Not that I’m afraid or ashamed to tell, but I want you to make your own decision. For after all, people will not do right until they decide to do so themselves. If I can provoke you to think and to resolve in your own heart that you will do right, then that will be much better than anything else which I might do for you today. The first word I’m listing is:

1. _Dancing._ I want you to decide for yourself which column it belongs in. Would you list it as a work of the flesh or as fruit of the Spirit? Into which list does it fit better? I’m not going to say. Decide for yourself. If you were called upon to classify it in one or the other of these groups, in which group would you put it? You may say it doesn’t belong in either. Well, I’ll still leave that up to your judgment. I’ll put another word up here.

2. _Bible Study._ (That’s two words, isn’t it?) Do you have any trouble classifying that? In which list would you put it? Would you say that Bible study belongs with the fruit of the Spirit or with the works of the flesh? I shall not try to influence your opinion. Decide for yourself. You see I can put most anything up here today because I’m not committing myself. I’m playing safe. Well, let’s list another word.

3. _Movies._ Not as they could be and not as they ought to be, and not as they are in some isolated cases, but as they are in general, would you say that they look like this crowd (Fruit of the Spirit) or do they look like this crowd (Works of the Flesh)? Do they contribute to lasciviousness, do they contribute to envy and hatred and such like things, or do they look more like peace, self-control, and goodness? Decide for yourself! I’ve asked a great many people this simple question: “Do you believe that movies as they are in general are helpful to society or injurious to society?” All of the answers to that question except in one single instance have been on the same side. I think you know what the correct answer is.

4. _Card playing._ Let’s consider card playing here, playing bridge, and such like games. Please note what happened in Cincinnati a few years ago. The city council passed an anti-gambling law which, of course, outlawed playing bingo. Some of the preachers of the city got together and wrote out a petition asking the city manager to amend the anti-gambling law to give the churches permission to play bingo in order to raise money to carry on their work. The city manager granted the petition. It’s on the legislative record of the city of Cincinnati. Do you wonder why so many people have quit going to church, why the buildings are empty on Sunday?

A young lady in Cincinnati told me the first time I ever saw her that she didn’t like to go to church, that she came away feeling worse than when she went and that she didn’t get what she needed when she attended the typical place of worship in the city of Cincinnati. Do you wonder why? Now Cincinnati may be a little bit extreme, but similar conditions prevail at a great many other places.

There was a lady in Louisville, Kentucky, who told me she was alarmed about her son. She said he was a natural-born gambler. There are a lot of “natural-born gamblers,” but they are not all in Kentucky. I asked the lady if she didn’t go to bridge parties, and she said she did. Then I said, “Don’t you contribute your share of the money to buy a prize?” She admitted that she did. Next I asked, “Don’t you play a game of chance to see which lady will take the prize home?” Again she answered in the affirmative. My reply was, “Well, you taught your son to gamble. Why are you alarmed?” She was perfectly content to gamble in the living-room with a group of so-called refined ladies, but she didn’t want her son to bet on the horse races or go to some gambling den in the city. (I almost told you where I thought that one belonged, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to do that.) Let’s take something else.

5. _Prayer meeting._ Where would you put attending prayer meeting? I never heard anybody raise a question about that. I think everybody knows where it belongs so we pass on to something else.

6. _Petting._ We just as well talk about it; everybody knows about it. Many have been guilty of it. Where would you put petting? Does it look like lasciviousness, tending to produce wanton and lustful desires, or does it look like it belongs with the fruit of the Spirit? Now about the only difference I see in petting and dancing is that the dancing is done to music and the petting without the benefit of music; dancing is usually done in public, where the presence of others imposes at least some degree of restraint, whereas the petting is done in a parked automobile on a side road or in some living-room with the shades pulled down. That’s about the only difference. I’m perfectly willing to leave the decision to your own honest judgment, because if you’re not honest you’re certainly lost anyhow.

7. _Tobacco._ Maybe you think I’m going too far, but I’d like to ask you to classify the use of tobacco. Would you classify tobacco—whether it’s dipping, chewing, or smoking—as a work of the flesh, or as fruit of the Spirit? Do you believe that using it will help you to save souls or hinder you in saving souls? Would you be a little bit ashamed to let the man whom you were trying to convert see you smoking or dipping or chewing? Again, I’m just asking questions. Not answering them. If anybody wants to know what my answer is, see me after we’re through and I’ll tell you. But I want to leave it up to your own judgment. Where would you place these things? Do they belong in the list of works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit?

Friends, we are talking today about something that’s fundamental. There’s no part of the Bible more fundamental than the 5th chapter of Galatians. The Bible says those who do these things (works of the flesh) shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Against these things (fruit of the Spirit) there is no law. You’re perfectly safe when you’re on this side. There’s no law of God or man that would condemn anything in this list. You never heard of a law forbidding one of these fruits of the Spirit. There’s not a state legislature on this earth that would even think about condemning one of them. Against such things there is no law.

Perhaps the greatest progress the church of Christ could make today would be to heed diligently the lesson of Galatians, chapter 5, and get all of our thinking, conversation, and conduct in harmony with the fruit of the Spirit. The very example of the membership would then be a tremendous drawing power. It would win the admiration of all those who observed it. All serious-minded people who want to go to heaven when they die, would like to have a part with a group of people who are governed in such a way. If there are some present this morning who are guilty of following the lust of the flesh, there is still a chance for you to be forgiven. If you will repent, confess your faults, and pray God to forgive you, he will do so—that is, those of you who are erring children of God. You who have not yet been baptized into Christ may secure forgiveness by believing in him as God’s son, repenting of your sins, confessing your faith, and obeying the commandment to be baptized for remission of sins. If you are subject then to this call of Christ, we invite you to accept it.

XVI WHAT MUST I DO TO KEEP SAVED?

Allow me to add a word of welcome to all of you who are present and especially to the visitors. We are very grateful for such good attendance at our Sunday evening meetings, and especially for the large number of young people present. I know of no better way to build a courtship, and eventually a marriage and a home, than upon regular attendance to all the meetings of the church. I have just learned recently of one young man who is seriously considering obeying the Gospel as a result of attending our Sunday evening meetings with his girl friend. This is an example of how you young people may do a lot of good, not only for yourselves but for those whom you may bring with you. Hence I urge you to come back tonight to hear Brother Bradford and every Sunday evening to our program of worship and study.

We had so many questions arising in my class upstairs this morning that we didn’t get to our lesson. We are taking the same lesson next Sunday, the first twenty-two verses of the ninth chapter of Acts, and the memory verse will be Colossians 2:12. If you want a copy of the questions, you can find them here on the pulpit at the end of the hour.

We had a fine program last Wednesday evening, even a bigger crowd than expected. I hope you realize the importance of the training we are giving the young men on Wednesday evening. It means a lot to them. They’ll be the leaders of the churches in just a few years from now and they’ll appreciate your presence and encouragement as they conduct our services for the next five weeks. We are expecting a good program again this week.

This morning my topic is “What Must I Do to Keep Saved?” There have been many sermons, and rightly so, preached upon the subject, “What Must I Do to Be Saved?” That is indeed a very important question. It is asked and answered three times in the book of Acts (Acts 16:30-34; 2:36-38; Acts 9:6; 22:16). These answers teach that in order to be saved, one must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; repent of his sins; and then be buried with Christ in baptism for remission of sins. One who has done these things is then a child of God, a member of the Lord’s family, a citizen in the Lord’s kingdom, a member of God’s church; for Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” (Mark 16:16) and God adds to the church day by day such as are being saved (Acts 2:47). All people then who have been saved are in the church because God put them in, just as soon as they were saved.

I The Danger of Falling

It’s not our purpose to speak at this time on the topic, “What Must I Do to Be Saved?” but rather upon one which is equally important, “What Must I Do to Keep Saved?” This very question implies not only the possibility, but even the danger, of one’s falling from grace. If it were not possible for one who has once been in a saved condition to fall out of it into an unsaved condition, then our topic would be entirely out of place. Furthermore, a big part of the New Testament would be of no value. A great portion is devoted to warning Christians against falling and to telling them how to keep from falling. Every warning in the New Testament addressed to Christians implies not only the possibility but also the danger of apostasy.

Simon, the sorcerer, believed and was baptized; therefore he must have been saved for Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). But after Simon had reached that condition, he endeavored to buy the gift of God with money, to whom Peter said, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:20-23). Surely Simon was then lost, although he had been once saved, illustrating the fact that one can fall from grace.

Addressing the Christians at Galatia who would be saved by the law of Moses, Paul said, “Ye are fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). Why argue about the possibility of falling from grace when such a plain statement is found in the Bible?

If any further evidence could be desired, you can find much more in the Bible to the same point. For instance, James, chapter 5, and the last two verses thereof, “Brethren, if any one of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”