Divine Business
In considering the subject of Divine promises respecting future service, the one text of Scripture that seems paramount in regard to this subject is, "Know ye not that ye shall judge the world?" A little farther on, in another verse, it says. "And angels," a two-fold work, of judging the world and judging angels. Our attention is called in another part of the Scriptures to the fact that we, if proven worthy, that is to be saints, those who become saints, those who are more than overcomers, are to exercise a two-fold office, that of priesthood and that of kingship.
Our religion here is a business. But now do not misunderstand me. I don't mean it is a business in the ordinary business sense, nor a business in a worldly sense; but it is a business in that we are regulated and actuated by a plan and by a system of learning and teaching, God has required certain things of us; and just in so far as we measure up to what is required of us, we are doing the King's business; and so far as we do not measure up to His requirements we are failing in our business.
We are making preparations for our office, for our kingship, for our priesthood beyond the veil.
Now, to be very practical about this matter, how are you using your opportunities for service? Are you prompt in all your service? Do you come promptly to all the meetings?
If you are given an opportunity to do some service to the Lord, do you do it as unto the Lord, or do you do it because some brother or sister asked you to do it?
God is watching to see how you do that service, how you render it. If you are not asked to do a service, perhaps the Lord is watching you to see if you are going to force yourself into the service.
Perhaps He is waiting to see how much self-control, how much meekness we have. I believe that is exactly how the Lord is working with us. Now you see, in this sense, it is a business.
Now there is one way to look at this subject of our preparation for this great work of the future, and that is; we are not to judge with finality now, only to analyze right from wrong, carefully and with great patience.
All judgment is committed unto the Son and unto the Church, His body members, for the future thousand years in the Messianic Age; but don't you know, dear friends, that we make the mistake so often of judging in this present life incorrectly and hurt others around us?
Now we are preparing to do the judging in the future. One of our requirements is to judge (analyze) in this life with patient righteousness and forgiveness. As we do so carefully we learn to be Judges with Christ in the future. If you find that you failed to analyze someone or something correctly and do not make amends you are subject to corrections by Yahweh so that you will learn the lesson of it. If you make amends then Yahweh is pleased that you learned the lesson on your own.
There is another matter about this judgment. We are not only prone to judge one another, but I fear we make the mistake very often of judging our sectarian friends; and those are the very ones that we will probably have the strongest love and the first love for when we have judgment committed unto us.
We will realize then, as we do not realize now, that it is through ignorance that they have been bitter against us, that they have not had the light of truth as we have had. And you see there is a wonderful opportunity to exercise charity; and don't you know that when we came out of the worldly system into the truth, we just sprang from one extreme to the other?
We did not all of us, but some of us did. I am speaking generally.
Another thing to look at regarding this judgment: Others are judging us. They are judging us all the time. Your worldly friends that you are brought into contact with every day are judging you. If you profess one thing and live another thing, all your friends know all about it. They may not tell you about it, but they know all about it just the same. They are judging you.
This brings us to that thought that we all know a great deal of, that is, being living epistles for Christ. Let us remember that we are being judged. Remember that we are not to judge with unrighteous means and hurt others, that we are to make ourselves copies of God's dear Son, and that we are being watched to see whether we are making good copies or not.
John Harris
Our religion here is a business. But now do not misunderstand me. I don't mean it is a business in the ordinary business sense, nor a business in a worldly sense; but it is a business in that we are regulated and actuated by a plan and by a system of learning and teaching, God has required certain things of us; and just in so far as we measure up to what is required of us, we are doing the King's business; and so far as we do not measure up to His requirements we are failing in our business.
We are making preparations for our office, for our kingship, for our priesthood beyond the veil.
Now, to be very practical about this matter, how are you using your opportunities for service? Are you prompt in all your service? Do you come promptly to all the meetings?
If you are given an opportunity to do some service to the Lord, do you do it as unto the Lord, or do you do it because some brother or sister asked you to do it?
God is watching to see how you do that service, how you render it. If you are not asked to do a service, perhaps the Lord is watching you to see if you are going to force yourself into the service.
Perhaps He is waiting to see how much self-control, how much meekness we have. I believe that is exactly how the Lord is working with us. Now you see, in this sense, it is a business.
Now there is one way to look at this subject of our preparation for this great work of the future, and that is; we are not to judge with finality now, only to analyze right from wrong, carefully and with great patience.
All judgment is committed unto the Son and unto the Church, His body members, for the future thousand years in the Messianic Age; but don't you know, dear friends, that we make the mistake so often of judging in this present life incorrectly and hurt others around us?
Now we are preparing to do the judging in the future. One of our requirements is to judge (analyze) in this life with patient righteousness and forgiveness. As we do so carefully we learn to be Judges with Christ in the future. If you find that you failed to analyze someone or something correctly and do not make amends you are subject to corrections by Yahweh so that you will learn the lesson of it. If you make amends then Yahweh is pleased that you learned the lesson on your own.
There is another matter about this judgment. We are not only prone to judge one another, but I fear we make the mistake very often of judging our sectarian friends; and those are the very ones that we will probably have the strongest love and the first love for when we have judgment committed unto us.
We will realize then, as we do not realize now, that it is through ignorance that they have been bitter against us, that they have not had the light of truth as we have had. And you see there is a wonderful opportunity to exercise charity; and don't you know that when we came out of the worldly system into the truth, we just sprang from one extreme to the other?
We did not all of us, but some of us did. I am speaking generally.
Another thing to look at regarding this judgment: Others are judging us. They are judging us all the time. Your worldly friends that you are brought into contact with every day are judging you. If you profess one thing and live another thing, all your friends know all about it. They may not tell you about it, but they know all about it just the same. They are judging you.
This brings us to that thought that we all know a great deal of, that is, being living epistles for Christ. Let us remember that we are being judged. Remember that we are not to judge with unrighteous means and hurt others, that we are to make ourselves copies of God's dear Son, and that we are being watched to see whether we are making good copies or not.
John Harris
