Part 5 (1/2)

There is war to the knife, and the knife clear up to the hilt, between these two claimants for the control of our powers--self and Jesus. Paul understood this antagonism thoroughly. It comes out repeatedly in his writings. His name for this inner enemy, by an accidental turn in English, is Jesus' word ”self” spelled backwards with the letter ”h”

added--f-l-e-s-h. His remarks in Romans, eighth chapter, verses four to eight, and twelve to thirteen, are simply an enlargement of these words in the sixteenth of Matthew's gospel. If one will read these verses, subst.i.tuting Jesus' word ”self” for Paul's word he will be surprised to find how strikingly Paul is expressing this very thought of Jesus. A free translation of part of these verses would read like this: Verse five--”They that choose to walk after self (as a slave walked after, or behind, his master) will show their choice by obeying the desires of self, and they that choose to walk after the Spirit will obey the desires of the Spirit.” Verse seven--”For the purposes of self are opposed to G.o.d's purposes; for it does not hold itself subject to G.o.d's wishes; indeed, in its very nature it cannot; and they that choose to obey self cannot please G.o.d.” Verse thirteen--”If by the Holy Spirit's aid ye kill off the plans and doings of self, ye shall therein find real true life, and only so.”

Plainly, the deep searching experiences of Paul's great soul, and his wide observation of others, in his ceaseless travels, confirm the statements already made, that there is the intensest hatred, the bitterest antagonism, between these two personalities represented by Jesus' words, ”himself” and ”me.” There can be no patched-up truce here.

The only way the lion and the lamb can lie down together in this case is for the one to lie down underneath the other--conquered; or inside the other--devoured.

In his other letters Paul sometimes uses still another name, ”the old man,” and names the characteristics of this omnipresent self, which crop out with varying degrees of prominence, in different persons, and under different circ.u.mstances. Notice only a few of these: In Galatians, fifth chapter, nineteenth verse: ”The deeds of self are ... improper s.e.xual intercourse, impurity, shameless looseness....” It will, wherever possible, debase the holiest functions of the body. In Colossians, third chapter, fifth verse, speaking of the ”old man”: ”And covetousness, which is reckoning of highest worth that which is less worthy than G.o.d.”

That is to say, the ambitious longings of self, will if unchecked become the ruling pa.s.sion, thrusting all else ruthlessly aside and degrading the highest powers of the mind to satisfying its feverish desire. In Ephesians, fourth chapter, thirty-first verse: ”Bitterness, pa.s.sion, anger, loud disputing, evil-speaking ... malice.” Its a.s.sertiveness, and demand for a due recognition of its worth, its rights, its opinions, its proper place, bring bitterest burnings, and worse. It will not be needful to review congressional, and political, and society life for ill.u.s.trations. They may be found much nearer one's own door.

Was there ever such a list? Such a being whose heart begets and nurses such progeny! This being has the smell of h.e.l.l, and of the evil one himself. Ah! now we are getting at the straight truth. Self is Satan's personal representative in every human heart. Its door of entrance is the door of disobedience. It can have control only where one allows himself to get out of intelligent sympathy with G.o.d. The self in Peter was recoiling from that cross of which Jesus spoke. How keen Jesus was in recognizing the suggestor of the thought that found expression through Peter's lips--”Get thee behind me, _Satan_.” Self is Satan, condensed into each man's life, though in some he dare not exhibit his coa.r.s.er traits; and in others he is being _constantly conquered_ by that power of the Spirit of Jesus which comes through absolute, glad surrender to Him.

This sly Satan-self may often be recognized by a favorite question it asks among christian people about a great many so-called unimportant matters:--What's the harm? But a true follower of Jesus never lives down upon the plane of ”what's-the-harm?” He lives up in a higher sphere with his Master, who ”pleased not Himself,” but made it the steady, unfaltering aim of His life to do always those things that were pleasing to His Father. Men thought Him narrow and fanatical, but He cared not so long as He could daily hear that clear, sweet voice saying ”This is My beloved Son, in whom _I_ am well pleased.” The final touchstone which the follower of Jesus applies to every matter is this: _Would it please Him?_

Let everyone here who earnestly desires to fit into, and to fill out, Jesus' plan for his life, take paper and pencil and make a list of his personal habits; such as his eating, what he eats and how; his drinking, other things he puts into his mouth, his dress, the use and care of his body, his recreations, his reading, his conversation, his use of money, his use of time, his life plans and his daily plans, his social engagements; and regarding each ask plainly the question--what is the _motive_ that _controls_ me in this? Is it my own preference or enjoyment? Or, is it to please and honor Jesus? Let him further go through the list of his business methods, his friends.h.i.+ps, the various organizations he belongs to, with the same question. If he will do thorough work he will probably have some stiff fighting on hand both at the start and afterwards. Many a life would thereby be radically changed. For example, I know a christian storekeeper who has on his shelves a certain article bearing the label of a tonic medicine, but he knows perfectly well, as does anyone who stops to think about it, that the stuff back of the label is one form of an intoxicant. There can be no question of what the Master would say about it. But it brings a good profit. And his money-fevered self a.s.serts its mastery and carries the day. And the man tightly grips the profits, while Satan chuckles with unholy glee, and souls are being d.a.m.ned by this christian man's aid.

Certainly there can be none of the power of G.o.d in such a life. Let us rather speak the truth and say that this man is exerting a positive power for Satan and for h.e.l.l.

All this is included in these few simple words, ”let him deny himself.”

Is there still a fixed purpose to follow Jesus without regard to what it may cost us, or where the keen edge of separation may cut in?

The Battle of the Forks.

Here is a forking of the road. I bring this whole company up to this dividing, and therefore deciding, point. Let each choose his own road deliberately, prayerfully, with open eyes. This road to the left has as its law, yielding to self; saying ”yes” to the desires and demands of self; with some modifications possibly, here and there, for I am talking to professing christian people. Yes to Jesus _sometimes_, but at _other_ times, when it suits circ.u.mstances and inclinations better to do otherwise--well, a pus.h.i.+ng of the troublesome question aside. And that means a decided yes to self, with as positive a negative to Jesus'

desires implied thereby. That is the left-hand fork.

This right-hand road knows only one law to which exception is never made, namely: _Yes to Jesus_, everywhere, always, regardless of consequences, though it may entail loss of friends.h.i.+ps, or money, or position, or social standing, or personal preference, or radical change of plans, or, what not.

Judas a.s.sented to the cravings of his ambitious self and said ”no” to his Master, thinking possibly, with his worldly shrewdness, thereby to force Jesus to a.s.sert His power. He little knew what a time of crisis it was, and what terrific results would follow.

Peter stood on the side of his cowardly, shrinking self in the court-yard that dark night, and against his Master. And though with matchless love he was forgiven, he never forgave himself, nor was able to get that night's doings out of his memory. Judas and Peter were brothers in action that night, and there are evidences that many other disciples are standing over in the same group. Are you? Which road do you choose to-night: this--to the left? Or, this--to the right?

I knew a young man who was deeply attached to an admirable young woman, both refined christian persons, much above the average in native ability, and in culture. He made known to her his feelings. But as many a woman who does not trust her best Friend in such matters is apt to do she held him off, testing him repeatedly, to find out just how real his attachment was. Finally revealing indirectly her own feeling she still withheld the consent he pleaded for, until he would yield acquiescence in a certain plan of hers for him. The plan, proper enough in itself, was an ambitious one, and tended decidedly toward swinging him away from the high, tenderly spiritual ideals that had swayed his life in college and afterwards, though he probably was not clearly conscious of this tendency. The only safe thing to do under such strong circ.u.mstances was to take time, aside, alone, for calm, poised, thought and prayer, to learn if her plan was also the Master's plan for him. But the personal element proved too strong for such deliberation. The possibility of losing her swung him off of his feet. It was no longer a question between her plan and the Master's plan. The latter dropped out of view, probably half-unconsciously because hurriedly. _He must have her_, he thought. That rose before his eyes above all else. And so the decision was made. With what result? He is to-day prominent in christian service, an earnest speaker, a tireless worker, with a most winsome personality.

But his inner spiritual life has perceptibly dwarfed. His ideals, still high and n.o.ble, are distinctly lower than in his earlier life.

Intellectual ideals, admirable in themselves, but belonging in second place in a christian life, now command the field. His conceptions and understanding of spiritual truth have undergone a decided change.

The proposal of the self-life came in very fascinating guise to him. He hastily said ”yes” to it: that meant as decided a refusal of Another's plan for him, which had once been clearly recognized, and accepted, but was now set aside, be it sadly said, as he swung quickly off to the left fork of the road.

There is an incident told of a European pastor, an earnest, eloquent man. The realization came in upon him that he had not been fully following the Master. In much of his life self was still ruling. He came to this forking of the road, and the battle was a fierce one, for self dies hard. But finally ”by the Spirit,” he got the victory, as every one may, and calmly stepped off to the right. He has vividly described that battle of the forks in language, the accuracy of which will be recognized by others who have been in action on that field.

”Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow, That a time could ever be When I let the Saviour's pity Plead in vain, and proudly answered: '_All of self, and none of Thee_.'

”Yet He found me: I beheld him Bleeding on the accursed tree; Heard Him pray, 'forgive them, Father,'

And my wistful heart said faintly: '_Some of self and some of Thee_.'

”Day by day, His tender mercy, Healing, helping, full and free, Sweet and strong, and oh, so patient, Brought me lower, while I whispered: '_Less of self and more of Thee_.'