Today, we have an opportunity that anyone less than 28 years of age has never seen. In fact, this is only the fourth time since 1880 that brethren have had this opportunity. If the world is allowed to continue and we live to this day in 2032, we will have another opportunity to meet with the saints to worship on a fifth Lord's day in February. Since there is at least a 28 year interval between fifth Sundays in February, we can accurately classify this as a rare opportunity. Yet, some will no doubt miss this opportunity choosing to stay home, or go fishing, or engage in another activity. When we really think about it, every opportunity to worship and serve God is rare if we view it as part of a life which is like "a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (Jas. 2:14) -- a brief chance to show where we seek to spend eternity. Are we "redeeming the time" by seizing our opportunities or are we missing chances to serve God?
As Jesus walked on the face of this earth, He was always mindful that "we must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work" (Jn. 9:4). The constant sense of man's fleeting opportunities caused our Lord to have far different priorities than His disciples in John 4 as they came in contact with the woman at the well. The disciples saw only a lowly working woman, and a disdained Samaritan at that. Jesus saw a lost souls in need of life-giving truth. The disciples ate physical food while Jesus gained sustenance by teaching the woman. When asked why He chose to use His time talking to the Samaritan woman rather than eating, Jesus replied,
My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to accomplish His work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest (Jn. 4:34-35).
Jesus sought to teach the disciples to seize the opportunities and pray for even more workers to come and help gather the plenteous harvest (Matt. 9:37-38).
The Bible is filled with examples of both missed opportunities and properly taking advantage of them. On one occasion, Peter missed the opportunity to see all that occurred on the night of Jesus' betrayal because he slept (Matt. 26:40-45). Yet, on later occasions, he took full advantage of crowds gathered, preaching the gospel to them (Acts 3:12-26; Acts 2; etc.). Paul, under arrest and threatened by a mob, took advantage of the assembly and confidently proclaimed the Christ (Acts 21:37-22:21). Conversely, Thomas did not gather with those who saw the risen Lord and doubted while the others were made glad from a confident faith (Jn. 20:19-25). Our use or neglect of opportunities affects us in many ways and helps shape our character -- for good or bad.
There are many opportunities to serve God and we need to seize all of them. Yet, the rare opportunities available at this time to spread the gospel need to be seized with particular urgency. We have opportunities to teach friends, family and visitors who come our way. Let us make sure we take advantage of each open door to teach the lost, for neither we nor they have any assurance of tomorrow. In addition to local opportunities, let us also remember the rare opportunities presented by present open doors in the Philippines. I know of five very worthy men who could be helped to give their full time to preaching if we could find $50 a month in support. Where else is there an opportunity to do so much with such a small amount of money? Each of us can assist and pray for the work in the Philippines as many doors are now open for a time.
In this day of compromise and lack of conviction (and there is plenty of both in and out of the church), we hear a great deal about "the spirit of Christ." I have no desire to reflect upon the real spirit of Christ as revealed in the New Testament, but I do want to show the false and cowardly dodges often made under the guise of "the spirit of Christ" in an effort to keep from "standing" for the truth.
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9). The subject is the power or force by which one lives. By the "flesh" we mind the things of the flesh; by the "Spirit" we mind the things of the Spirit. Verse 5 says: "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." To have the Spirit of Christ in this passage is to be dead to sin and alive to the things of the Spirit, to follow or obey what the Spirit sent from Christ teaches. This is in contrast to obeying "the things of the flesh."
In speaking of the attitude of Christ, which is generally meant by "the Christ-like spirit," Paul wrote: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). This "mind" (state of thought; what one has in mind; attitude) is shown to mean obedience even unto death in the case of Christ. The "spirit of Christ" and the "mind" of Christ have to do with obedience to the word of God. But this is not what denominational people and liberal minded people in the church mean by the "Christ-like spirit."
The "Christ-like spirit" to some means to be tolerant of everything; to allow almost any situation to remain without opposing it. Is this the attitude the Lord had toward sin? He drove out the moneychangers from the temple and overthrew their tables (Mk 11:15). He condemned the Pharisees in the strongest possible terms (Matt. 23). This was the mind of Christ toward evil. One is most unlike Christ to tolerate sin and error without rebuke. "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph. 5:11). Would it be a "Christ-like spirit" to obey this statement of inspiration?
To some the "Christ-like spirit" means to "let me have my way about every thing." This has become the predominate attitude of denominationalism today. They DO NOT WANT TO ENGAGE IN BATTLE! They do not want to have to "earnestly contend for the faith" (Jude 3). They prefer to live by the "live and let live" rule. They are content to oppose nothing and promote everything on God's green earth that satisfies the lust and vanity of man. I have confidently said publicly and in print that the day of religious debates is about over. The false teachers who have engaged in one or more debates have lost their taste for it. They want to profess the "Christ-like spirit" and disassociate themselves from battle. The few who believe they are right will engage in one debate and then they lose their taste for it. But a greater controversialist never lived than Christ. He opposed spiritual wickedness in all forms and in all places. We are taught to "fight the good fight of faith."
Perhaps the greatest charge of not having the spirit of Christ comes from those who dare expose sin in all forms. This opposition comes from within the church as well as from outside. Some brethren who have no conviction except that one ought to be baptized and be a "member of the church of Christ" cry to high heaven when someone stands for New Testament truth. When sin and wickedness in high places are exposed, we are "fanatics"; when the one way of Christ is taught, we are "narrowminded"; when the religious errors of denominationalism are exposed, we are "bigots"; when complete obedience to the gospel of Christ is taught, we are "legalists."
The spirit that desires to compromise truth with error stands for nothing in doctrine, agrees with all plans and doctrines of men, and promotes all sorts of unauthorized projects in the name of religion. This is the "antichrist spirit" rather than the "Christ-like spirit." The spirit of Christ requires complete obedience to all that the Spirit requires. The mind of Christ requires complete submission to all that Christ commands of us, even unto death. It means to oppose error with the same force that Christ used. It means to stand for something and against something -- stand for all truth and against all error. It means to regard the New Testament as the final and complete will of Christ, and to presume to do nothing without his authority. If you want the "Christ-like spirit," go to the New Testament and there you will find it. Eternal happiness depends upon "walking in the Spirit" (Rom. 8:6).