Job 35
Elihu confronts regarding comments of Job verse 1- 3
Elihu spoke moreover
and said
Think you this to be right – that you say
My righteousness is more than God’s?
For you said
What advantage will it be to you?
What profit shall I have – if I be cleansed from my sin?
Elihu comments on Job’s actions verse 4- 8
I will answer you – and your companions with you
look to the heavens – and see
and behold the clouds which are higher than you
IF you sin – what do you against HIM?
or IF your transgressions be multiplied
what do you to HIM?
IF you be righteous – what give you HIM?
or what receives HE of your hand?
Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are
and your righteousness may profit the son of man
Elihu believes Job shouldn’t question God verse 9- 13
By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry
they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty
BUT none says
Where is God my MAKER
WHO gives songs in the night
WHO teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
there they cry – but none gives answer
BECAUSE of the pride of evil men
Surely God will not hear vanity – neither will the Almighty regard it
Elihu states that Job is speaking foolishly verse 14- 16
Although you say you shall not see HIM
yet judgment is before HIM
THEREFORE trust you in HIM
BUT now – because it is not so
HE has visited in HIS anger
Yet HE knows it not in great extremity
THEREFORE does Job open his mouth in vain
he multiplies words without knowledge
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
:5 “Look to the heavens and see; And behold the clouds – They are higher
than you.”(NKJV) (8064 שָׁמַיִם [shamayim, shameh /shaw·mah·yim/] n m. From an unused root meaning to be lofty; TWOT 2407a; GK 9028; 420 occurrences; AV translates as “heaven” 398 times, “air” 21 times, and “astrologers + 1895” once. 1 heaven, heavens, sky. 1A visible heavens, sky. 1A1 as abode of the stars. 1A2 as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc. 1B Heaven (as the abode of God).
DEVOTION: Elihu was responding to Job and bidding him and his “friends” to remember that God is higher and not visible to those who cry out to Him. While this is true, God also directed Abram to the heavens to impress upon Abram His works and His promise in Gen 15:5. God’s uses this word again in Job 38:37 and it is referring to the clouds. Even when we cannot see God, we can see His grand and mysterious creation and recognize that He is there.
CHALLENGE: As Job clings to God’s promises may we also when difficulties threaten our walk. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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: 10 But none saith, ‘Where is God my maker [`asah, 6213; to do,
fashion, accomplish, or make], who giveth songs in the night.’”
DEVOTION: Elihu continues to point out that one of the chief sins of man is that of ingratitude. Again he accuses Job of trying to make God show him how his situation is “fair.” What Job should have been doing (and what he ends up doing in chapters 38-42) is acknowledging God as Maker. This means that He needs to acknowledge God’s omnipotence as well as His providence over His creation. It is recognizing first of all that it God who designed each and every one of us.
It is important to acknowledge that God is our Maker, because that means that He is responsible for all that decisions about what happens in our lives. That means that we will be grateful for whatever comes our way (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Gratitude is mentioned frequently in Scripture as an attitude which marks a child of God. By seeking to make God do what we think He ought to do, we do not reap the blessing of a closer walk with God even in the midst of what we view as suffering. He promises to make all things right at the end, and we can trust Him to keep this promise.
CHALLENGE: What do you need to thank God for right now, by confessing Him as your Maker? (written by Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 12 There they cry, but none gives answer, because of the pride of evil men.
(6030 “answer” [‘anah] means pay attention, to begin to speak, give account, testify, or witness)
DEVOTION: Are there people in your world who think they are smarter than you? Even though you might have a closer walk with the LORD then they do, they know that you are not really as spiritual as you think you are. There are people who think that they know more than others in every situation. Watch out for those individuals.
Elihu believes a truth that all of us must believe. The belief is that God doesn’t need us. We need HIM. Our sins don’t affect HIS holiness. Our righteousness doesn’t affect HIS holiness. HE is consistently HOLY!
Our beliefs don’t affect HIS omnipresence. HE is our MAKER. HE is wiser than any created being.
Elihu is dealing again with Job’s attitude not his actions. In this verse he says that Job is praying but God is not answering because there is pride in the life of Job. When Job is praying or crying out to God, he is still not dealing with pride in his life.
This is a constant battle in all human beings. We tend to think that if we seem to do all things right our prayers will be answered. God answers the prayers of the humble.
Is our attitude one of humility when we approach the LORD? Some think that God answers all prayers. This belief is not true. The first prayer that God answers is the confession of sinners.
God answers HIS people when they are not regarding sin in their hearts. God answers the prayers of HIS people only. At the end of this book Job has to pray for his “three friends.”
Are we praying Biblical prayers to our Father? God wants us to talk to HIM in a reverent and respectful manner. HE is our Father because of what Christ did on the cross for us. We can question what HE is doing in our lives in this manner. HE wants us to come with a humble spirit with confidence. That is a rare combination but the Bible tells us to come boldly into the presence of the LORD. Remember there is a difference between pride and boldness or confidence.
CHALLENGE: Answers to prayer is important to every believer. We need to pray according to HIS will. HE will give us the desires of our heart because our desire is to glorify HIM. Remember to glorify the LORD in your prayers.
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: 14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him;
Therefore, trust thou in HIM. (reared, reliable, sure, trustworthy)
DEVOTION: The LORD is someone who is reliable and trustworthy. Too often we think of someone who is trustworthy that he or she is someone we can dependent on at all times and yet our nature is to not trust anyone because so many people have let us down throughout our lives but God is not just a human being but HE is someone who will always do what is right for us.
Our nature is to think that everyone is against us at times but the LORD is not like others. HE is not a human being with faults but HE Is faultless. HE never sins. HE never lets us down. HE is always doing what is best for us. That is a hard concept to understand because we have been let down so many times by human being.
Our thinking needs to change when we think of God. HE is always looking out for what is best for us and we need to realize that HE knows what is best for us at all time and HE will do what is right for us. People who will let us down but HE will not
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.
(7723 “vanity” [shav’] means destruction, Worthless, futile, inconsequential, something that has absolutely no value or use, emptimess, or iniquity)
DEVOTION: Here is another voice that has no regard for Job and what he is going through. All these “friends” seem to think they have the answers to Job’s problem but they all are just whistling in the dark. They are not giving God answer to what is going on in his life.
God is allowing Satan to test him to show that Job is faithful to the LORD no matter what happens to him. He is answering the questions of these so called friends and they are not listening to him.
He knows that he still loved the LORD and that he wanted to know the answers to what was going on but these “friends” including Elihu who was the youngest still were not satisfied with his answers.
Have you ever had something happen in your life that didn’t seem fair at the time and yet you know that the LORD was still with you? You were facing a trial and you asked the LORD for wisdom and it seemed that HE was not giving you relief from your test.
Job was feeling this and he wanted answers but Elihu was saying that Job was just asking the wrong questions of the LORD.
God wants us to realize that HE will not hear anything that is worthless from us but HE will hear genuine prayer for answers to our present situation. HE loves HIS children and wants them to turn to HIM in times of trouble.
Our responsibility is to wait on HIM to give us answers and if HE doesn’t seem to answer right away we have to continue to trust HIM.
CHALLENGE: Our understanding of God and HIS Word that is found in the Bible needs to keep us close to HIM and to wait for HIM to reveal HIS truth regarding what HE is presently putting us through.
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: 16 Therefore does Job open his mouth in vain, he multiplies words without
knowledge. (1847 “knowledge,” [da‘ath] means ability,
discernment, understanding, the psychological result of perception
and learning,,and reasoning, sometimes simply endowed by God, or
insight)
DEVOTION: Elihu has spoken three speeches against Job. Here we find that his conclusion of the matter of why God is not answering Job’s prayer request is that Job is not making any sense when he prays.
He believes that God is so far above everyone and everything that HE is not concerned about what is happening in the everyday lives of even HIS believing followers.
Job expected God to answer prayer and this was foolish in the eyes of Elihu who thinks that God doesn’t have time to answer prayers. This is not what has happened throughout the history of those who are followers of God.
God does answer prayer but it is always in HIS timing and in HIS way. The circumstances surrounded this testing of Job is so unique that God does wait a long time to answer the prayer of this saint.
Sometimes HE seems to wait a long time in HIS answering of our prayers even when we are faithful to confess our sins and as HIM for forgiveness. Waiting on the LORD was extremely hard on Job but he was willing to wait for an answer in spite of what this young man thought of Job and his actions.
We can expect an answer from the LORD regarding our present circumstances but we have to be willing to wait on the LORD. It is never nonsense to come to the LORD in prayer and expect an answer. We are not fools for thinking those thoughts.
Self-righteous Elihu thought he had all the answers and that Job was wrong in his attitude and actions regarding prayer.
CHALLENGE: We need to watch out for the self-righteous in our midst who think they have all the answers to our problems.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
God doesn’t answer prayers of prideful men verse 12, 13
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 2, 10, 13
HIM verse 6, 7
Maker verse 10
WHO gives songs in the night verse 10
WHO teaches verse 11
Creator verse 11
Will not hear vanity verse 13
Almighty verse 13
Judge verse 14
Anger verse 15
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Elihu verse 1- 16
Told Job that his thinking was not right
God teaches us
Makes humans wiser than animals
Many accusations against Job
Companions verse 4
Son of man verse 8
Mighty verse 9
Job verse 16
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sin verse 3, 6
Transgressions verse 6
Wickedness verse 8
Pride of evil men verse 12
Open mouth in vain verse 16
Multiplies words without knowledge verse 16
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Righteousness verse 2, 8
Cleansed verse 3
Righteous verse 7
Trust verse 14
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
But even if God doesn’t relieve the burden, He can give the trusting sufferer “songs in the night” (v. 10; Ps. 42:8; 77:6). “Any man can sing in the day,” said Charles Spurgeon. “It is easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight; but he is the skillful singer who can sing when there is not a ray of light by which to read.” The Lord gave “songs in the night” to Jesus before He went to the cross (Matt. 26:30) and to Paul and Silas in the prison in Philippi (Acts 16:25). If God doesn’t see fit to remove our burdens, He always gives strength to bear them—and a song to sing while doing it! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Patient (p. 135). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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35:15, 16 Elihu suggested that although Job had suffered, his suffering was not the fullness of God’s anger or He would have punished Job more for the sinfulness of his speeches. He thought God had actually overlooked the folly of Job in his useless words. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Job 35:15). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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16. Therefore. In view of all that Elihu had now said, he came to the conclusion that the views of Job were erroneous, and that he had no just cause of complaint. He had suffered no more than he had deserved; he might have obtained a release or mitigation if he had applied to God; and the government of God was just, and was every way worthy of confidence. The remarks of Job, therefore, complaining of the severity of his sufferings and of the government of God, were not based on knowledge, and had in fact no solid foundation. (Barnes, A. (1847). Notes on the Old Testament: Job (Vol. 2, p. 162). London: Blackie & Son.)
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With his multiplicity of empty words, Job should not have expected to be heard (vv.14–16). Even worse was Job’s rebellious spirit chiding God for hiding his face (13:24; 23:3; cf. v.14) and seeking to march into his presence as an impatient litigant (13:15; 31:35–37). And now, with his case before God, Job dared to complain about waiting for an answer (30:20; cf. v.14c–d) and continued to accuse God of injustice (21:4; 24:1–12; cf. v.15, but see Notes). (Smick, E. B. (1988). Job. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 1017). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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Ver. 16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain, &c.] In uttering such unbecoming expressions, observed, and refuted, in his loud complaints of God, and of his dealings with him, and in defence of himself. He multiplieth words without knowledge; both against God and in answer to others; being in a great measure ignorant of the nature and number of his sins, and of his afflictions; and of the end of God in them, and of the right he had to lay them upon him; as well as of his duty patiently to bear them, and trust in God, and wait his own time for deliverance out of them; and of the truth of this he was afterwards convinced, and acknowledged it, ch. 42:3. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 476–477). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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9–15. How awfully is this scripture verified in the daily experience of mankind. Men under the various oppressions of life will cry out; some under sickness, some under want; some under one affliction, and some under another. But none of their cries are directed unto the Lord. Go wheresoever you may, in prisons, in sick rooms, in poor houses, or even among the rich under disappointment or trouble, yet, though you may hear one saying, O my child, my brother, my husband, my father, my friend! O my head, my heart, my body; or, O the cruelty of this or that; yet, amidst all these wailings and bitter lamentations, which are all the cry of nature, not of grace, you never heard among them the voice of an awakened soul, crying out, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night? What an awful blindness hath the fall induced in the circumstances of all mankind by nature! To behold men thrown into prison, on dying beds, under bereaving providences; and all complaining, yet none crying to God, though all disposed to complain of God. Reader, do mark the difference. The people of God, if in sorrow, affliction, sickness, on a bed of languishing, they have their songs in the night; and, from the sweet visits of Jesus, can and do say, In the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart, thy comforts have refreshed my soul. Psalm 94:19. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 130). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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35:14–16 Elihu argues that if God does not regard the cries of the proud oppressed (vv. 9–13), how can Job expect an answer (v. 14) to what Elihu assumes is the even more obstinate stance of one who takes his own lack of punishment as reason to speak foolishly (vv. 15–16). This is extraordinarily insensitive, considering Job’s actual situation. Elihu is revealing a high view of his own importance. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 922). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Romans 12
The Christian life is a life of total dedication and service to others.
INSIGHTTo better understand the implications of the first two verses of chapter 12, it is helpful to read them backwards. We all want to be a living demonstration of the fact that the will of God is “good and acceptable and perfect.” In order to do that, we must have our minds transformed and renewed. In order to have our minds transformed and renewed, we must make our bodies “a living sacrifice” to God. We all want the will of God in our lives. We can experience it if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him. (Quiet Walk)
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ANALYZING FELLOWSHIP
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:6-7
In order to make this fellowship active, we have certain things to do, and God must do certain things to us. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another”–that is what we do. “And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”–that is what He does. “If we confess our sins” (verse 9)–that again is our part, then “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So it is quite inevitable in the matter of fellowship like this that though in a logical sense we persist in dividing up the aspect of fellowship into the two sides–Godward and manward, they are constantly intermingled, because it is a sharing together, it is an interaction of the one upon the other.
In other words, fellowship is never mechanical but always something organic and vital. Of course, if we would understand it truly, for the sake of clarity of thought we are allowed to analyze it in the way we are doing, but we must remember that organic nature. To use an illustration, what we are doing is what the musicians do when they analyze a piece of music such as a sonata or a symphony. It is right to say that it is composed of various parts, and you can make an analysis of it; but if you are truly to appreciate it, you must always remember it is a whole, and you must take it as such. You cannot stop at an analysis, nor can you leave it at those various bits and portions; they are there, but they are parts of the whole.
A Thought to Ponder: Fellowship is never mechanical, but always something organic and vital.
(From Fellowship with God, p. 124, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The New Creation
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” (Galatians 6:15)
In the original Greek text of the New Testament, the word translated “creature” is the same as “creation,” so Paul, in our text, is stressing the vital importance of being a “new creation” in Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is nothing less than the mighty Creator of heaven and Earth (Colossians 1:16), and the very same creative power that called the universe into existence must be exerted on each lost sinner to create in him a new nature, capable of having the eternal fellowship with God for which man and woman were created in the beginning.
This new creation is not only for the purpose of saving their souls, but also for transforming their lives. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Although good works can never bring salvation, salvation must inevitably bring good works, for we are thereby “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Paul exhorts us to continually “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
Adam and Eve were originally created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27), but that image has been grievously damaged by unbelief and overt sin. Although still resident in man—in fact, distinguishing him from the animals—this divine image must be renewed through saving faith in our Creator/Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Scripture reminds all true believers that they “have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:9-10). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Unlimited
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary. Isaiah 40:28
There I am, sitting in the shopping mall food court, my body tense and my stomach knotted over looming work deadlines. As I unwrap my burger and take a bite, people rush around me, fretting over their own tasks. How limited we all are, I think to myself, limited in time, energy, and capacity.
I consider writing a new to-do list and prioritizing the urgent tasks, but as I pull out a pen another thought enters my mind: a thought of One who is infinite and unlimited, who effortlessly accomplishes all that He desires.
This God, Isaiah says, can measure the oceans in the hollow of His hand and collect the dust of the earth in a basket (Isaiah 40:12). He names the stars of the heavens and directs their path (v. 26), knows the rulers of the world and oversees their careers (v. 23), considers islands mere specks of dust and the nations like drops in the sea (v. 15). “To whom will you compare me?” He asks (v. 25). “The Lord is the everlasting God,” Isaiah replies. “He will not grow tired or weary” (v. 28).
Stress and strain are never good for us, but on this day they deliver a powerful lesson. The unlimited God is not like me. He accomplishes everything He wishes. I finish my burger, and then pause once more. And silently worship.
(By Sheridan Voysey, Our Daily Bread)
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“I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world.”
—John 17:15
It is a sweet and blessed event which will occur to all believers in God’s own time—the going home to be with Jesus. In a few more years the Lord’s soldiers, who are now fighting “the good fight of faith” will have done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their Lord. But although Christ prays that his people may eventually be with him where he is, he does not ask that they may be taken at once away from this world to heaven. He wishes them to stay here. Yet how frequently does the wearied pilgrim put up the prayer, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest;” but Christ does not pray like that, he leaves us in his Father’s hands, until, like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered into our Master’s garner. Jesus does not plead for our instant removal by death, for to abide in the flesh is needful for others if not profitable for ourselves. He asks that we may be kept from evil, but he never asks for us to be admitted to the inheritance in glory till we are of full age. Christians often want to die when they have any trouble. Ask them why, and they tell you, “Because we would be with the Lord.” We fear it is not so much because they are longing to be with the Lord, as because they desire to get rid of their troubles; else they would feel the same wish to die at other times when not under the pressure of trial. They want to go home, not so much for the Saviour’s company, as to be at rest. Now it is quite right to desire to depart if we can do it in the same spirit that Paul did, because to be with Christ is far better, but the wish to escape from trouble is a selfish one. Rather let your care and wish be to glorify God by your life here as long as he pleases, even though it be in the midst of toil, and conflict, and suffering, and leave him to say when “it is enough.” (Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. London: Passmore & Alabaster.)
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Vicarious intercession
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:19.
Beware of imagining that intercession means bringing our personal sympathies into the presence of God and demanding that He does what we ask. Our approach to God is due entirely to the vicarious identification of our Lord with sin. We have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
Spiritual stubbornness is the most effectual hindrance to intercession, because it is based on sympathy with that in ourselves and in others that we do not think needs atoning for. We have the notion that there are certain right and virtuous things in us which do not need to be based on the Atonement, and just in the domain of ‘stodge’ that is produced by this idea we cannot intercede. We do not identify ourselves with God’s interests in others, we get petulant with God; we are always ready with our own ideas, and intercession becomes the glorification of our own natural sympathies. We have to realize that the identification of Jesus with sin means the radical alteration of all our sympathies. Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God’s interests in others for our natural sympathy with them.
Am I stubborn or substituted? Petted or perfect in my relationship to God? Sulky or spiritual? Determined to have my own way or determined to be identified with Him? (Chambers, O. (1986). My utmost for his highest: Selections for the year. Grand Rapids, MI: Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering.)
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Prerequisites for Christian Unity
“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” (Philippians 2:1-2)
Churches haven’t changed much in 2,000 years. The call to unity in these verses is as needed now as it has always been. Let us examine the prerequisites for unity found here.
Consolation in Christ: The Greek word translated “consolation” is frequently translated “exhortation,” and that seems appropriate here. The “exhortation in Christ” immediately follows this passage where, His beautiful life of humility becomes the exhortation to unity among believers, since disunity ultimately comes from pride (v. 3).
Comfort of love: Comfort could be rendered “encouragement,” implying a tender act of incentive. The agape love that the Holy Spirit produces in the life of a believer produces the incentive to unity. When believers truly love one another in this fashion, unity prevails.
Fellowship of the Spirit: The Holy Spirit makes possible a precious relationship between believers. Through the Spirit’s empowering, our wills can be molded into Christlikeness, enabling us to live in unity with our fellow saints.
Bowels and mercies: In the Western world, the heart is referred to as the seat of our innermost affections, here called “mercies,” or, literally, “compassionate yearnings and actions.” When Christians have tender compassion for one another, divisions cease.
The four prerequisites for unity are then Christlike humility, Spirit-produced agape love, a yielding of the will of each believer to the Spirit, and tenderheartedness toward one another. May God grant that they will know we are Christians by our love. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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