The Desire of Ages--28--Levi-Matthew

[Richard Myers]

Levi-Matthew

Listen to  Levi-Matthew

         



     Of the Roman officials in Palestine, none were more hated than the publicans. The fact that the taxes were imposed by a foreign power was a continual irritation to the Jews, being a reminder that their independence had departed. And the taxgatherers were not merely the instruments of Roman oppression; they were extortioners on their own account, enriching themselves at the expense of the people. A Jew who accepted this office at the hands of the Romans was looked upon as betraying the honor of his nation. He was despised as an apostate, and was classed with the vilest of society.
     To this class belonged Levi-Matthew, who, after the four disciples at Gennesaret, was the next to be called to Christ's service. The Pharisees had judged Matthew according to his employment, but Jesus saw in this man a heart open for the reception of truth. Matthew had listened to the Saviour's teaching. As the convicting Spirit of God revealed his sinfulness, he longed to seek help from Christ; but he was accustomed to the exclusiveness of the rabbis, and had no thought that this Great Teacher would notice him. 
     Sitting at his toll booth one day, the publican saw Jesus approaching. Great was his astonishment to hear the words addressed to himself, "Follow Me."
     Matthew "left all, rose up, and followed Him." There was no hesitation, no questioning, no thought of the lucrative business to be exchanged for poverty and hardship. It was enough for him that he was to be with Jesus, that he might listen to His words, and unite with Him in His work. 
     So it was with the disciples previously called. When Jesus bade Peter and his companions follow Him, immediately they left their boats and nets. Some of these disciples had friends dependent on them for support; but when they received the Saviour's invitation, they did not hesitate, and inquire, How shall I live, and sustain my family? They were obedient to the call; and when afterward Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?" they could answer, "Nothing." Luke 22:35. 
     To Matthew in his wealth, and to Andrew and Peter in their poverty, the same test was brought; the same consecration was made by each. At the moment of success, when the nets were filled with fish, and the impulses of the old life were strongest, Jesus asked the disciples at the sea to leave all for the work of the gospel. So every soul is tested as to whether the desire for temporal good or for fellowship with Christ is strongest.
     Principle is always exacting. No man can succeed in the service of God unless his whole heart is in the work and he counts all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. No man who makes any reserve can be the disciple of Christ, much less can he be His colaborer. When men appreciate the great salvation, the self-sacrifice seen in Christ's life will be seen in theirs. Wherever He leads the way, they will rejoice to follow. 
     The calling of Matthew to be one of Christ's disciples excited great indignation. For a religious teacher to choose a publican as one of his immediate attendants was an offense against the religious, social, and national customs. By appealing to the prejudices of the people the Pharisees hoped to turn the current of popular feeling against Jesus. 
     Among the publicans a widespread interest was created. Their hearts were drawn toward the divine Teacher. In the joy of his new discipleship, Matthew longed to bring his former associates to Jesus. Accordingly he made a feast at his own house, and called together his relatives and friends. Not only were publicans included, but many others who were of doubtful reputation, and were proscribed by their more scrupulous neighbors.
     The entertainment was given in honor of Jesus, and He did not hesitate to accept the courtesy. He well knew that this would give offense to the Pharisaic party, and would also compromise Him in the eyes of the people. But no question of policy could influence His movements. With Him external distinctions weighed nothing. That which appealed to His heart was a soul thirsting for the water of life. 
     Jesus sat as an honored guest at the table of the publicans, by His sympathy and social kindliness showing that He recognized the dignity of humanity; and men longed to become worthy of His confidence. Upon their thirsty hearts His words fell with blessed, life-giving power. New impulses were awakened, and the possibility of a new life opened to these outcasts of society.   
     At such gatherings as this, not a few were impressed by the Saviour's teaching who did not acknowledge Him until after His ascension. When the Holy Spirit was poured out, and three thousand were converted in a day, there were among them many who first heard the truth at the table of the publicans, and some of these became messengers of the gospel. To Matthew himself the example of Jesus at the feast was a constant lesson. The despised publican became one of the most devoted evangelists, in his own ministry following closely in his Master's steps. 
     When the rabbis learned of the presence of Jesus at Matthew's feast, they seized the opportunity of accusing Him. But they chose to work through the disciples. By arousing their prejudices they hoped to alienate them from their Master. It was their policy to accuse Christ to the disciples, and the disciples to Christ, aiming their arrows where they would be most likely to wound. This is the way in which Satan has worked ever since the disaffection in heaven; and all who try to cause discord and alienation are actuated by his spirit. 
     "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" questioned the envious rabbis.
     Jesus did not wait for His disciples to answer the charge, but Himself replied: "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The Pharisees claimed to be spiritually whole, and therefore in no need of a physician, while they regarded the publicans and Gentiles as perishing from diseases of the soul. Then was it not His work, as a physician, to go to the very class that needed His help? 
     But although the Pharisees thought so highly of themselves, they were really in a worse condition than the ones they despised. The publicans were less bigoted and self-sufficient, and thus were more open to the influence of truth. Jesus said to the rabbis, "Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." Thus He showed that while they claimed to expound the word of God, they were wholly ignorant of its spirit. 
     The Pharisees were silenced for the time, but only became more determined in their enmity. They next sought out the disciples of John the Baptist, and tried to set them against the Saviour. These Pharisees had not accepted the mission of the Baptist. They had pointed in scorn to his abstemious life, his simple habits, his coarse garments, and had declared him a fanatic. Because he denounced their hypocrisy, they had resisted his words, and had tried to stir up the people against him. The Spirit of God had moved upon the hearts of these scorners, convicting them of sin; but they had rejected the counsel of God, and had declared that John was possessed of a devil. 
     Now when Jesus came mingling with the people, eating and drinking at their tables, they accused Him of being a glutton and a winebibber. The very ones who made this charge were themselves guilty. As God is misrepresented, and clothed by Satan with his own attributes, so the Lord's messengers were falsified by these wicked men. 
     The Pharisees would not consider that Jesus was eating with publicans and sinners in order to bring the light of heaven to those who sat in darkness. They would not see that every word dropped by the divine Teacher was a living seed that would germinate and bear fruit to the glory of God. They had determined not to accept the light; and although they had opposed the mission of the Baptist, they were now ready to court the friendship of his disciples, hoping to secure their co-operation against Jesus. They represented that Jesus was setting at nought the ancient traditions; and they contrasted the austere piety of the Baptist with the course of Jesus in feasting with publicans and sinners. 
     The disciples of John were at this time in great sorrow. It was before their visit to Jesus with John's message. Their beloved teacher was in prison, and they passed their days in mourning. And Jesus was making no effort to release John, and even appeared to cast discredit on his teaching. If John had been sent by God, why did Jesus and His disciples pursue a course so widely different? 
     The disciples of John had not a clear understanding of Christ's work; they thought there might be some foundation for the charges of the Pharisees. They observed many of the rules prescribed by the rabbis, and even hoped to be justified by the works of the law. Fasting was practiced by the Jews as an act of merit, and the most rigid among them fasted two days in every week. The Pharisees and John's disciples were fasting when the latter came to Jesus with the inquiry, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but Thy disciples fast not?" 
     Very tenderly Jesus answered them. He did not try to correct their erroneous conception of fasting, but only to set them right in regard to His own mission. And He did this by employing the same figure that the Baptist himself had used in his testimony to Jesus. John had said, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." John 3:29. The disciples of John could not fail to recall these words of their teacher, as, taking up the illustration, Jesus said, "Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?" 
     The Prince of heaven was among His people. The greatest gift of God had been given to the world. Joy to the poor; for Christ had come to make them heirs of His kingdom. Joy to the rich; for He would teach them how to secure eternal riches. Joy to the ignorant; He would make them wise unto salvation. Joy to the learned; He would open to them deeper mysteries than they had ever fathomed; truths that had been hidden from the foundation of the world would be opened to men by the Saviour's mission.
     John the Baptist had rejoiced to behold the Saviour. What occasion for rejoicing had the disciples who were privileged to walk and talk with the Majesty of heaven! This was not a time for them to mourn and fast. They must open their hearts to receive the light of His glory, that they might shed light upon those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. 
     It was a bright picture which the words of Christ had called up, but across it lay a heavy shadow, which His eye alone discerned. "The days will come," He said, "when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days." When they should see their Lord betrayed and crucified, the disciples would mourn and fast. In His last words to them in the upper chamber, He said, "A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me. Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." John 16:19, 20. 
     When He should come forth from the tomb, their sorrow would be turned to joy. After His ascension He was to be absent in person; but through the Comforter He would still be with them, and they were not to spend their time in mourning. This was what Satan wanted. He desired them to give the world the impression that they had been deceived and disappointed; but by faith they were to look to the sanctuary above, where Jesus was ministering for them; they were to open their hearts to the Holy Spirit, His representative, and to rejoice in the light of His presence. Yet days of temptation and trial would come, when they would be brought into conflict with the rulers of this world, and the leaders of the kingdom of darkness; when Christ was not personally with them, and they failed to discern the Comforter, then it would be more fitting for them to fast.
     The Pharisees sought to exalt themselves by their rigorous observance of forms, while their hearts were filled with envy and strife. "Behold," says the Scripture, "ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?" Isaiah 58:4, 5. 
     The true fast is no mere formal service. The Scripture describes the fast that God has chosen,--"to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke;" to "draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul." Isaiah 58:6, 10. Here is set forth the very spirit and character of the work of Christ. His whole life was a sacrifice of Himself for the saving of the world. Whether fasting in the wilderness of temptation or eating with the publicans at Matthew's feast, He was giving His life for the redemption of the lost. Not in idle mourning, in mere bodily humiliation and multitudinous sacrifices, is the true spirit of devotion manifested, but it is shown in the surrender of self in willing service to God and man. 
     Continuing His answer to the disciples of John, Jesus spoke a parable, saying, "No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old." The message of John the Baptist was not to be interwoven with tradition and superstition. An attempt to blend the pretense of the Pharisees with the devotion of John would only make more evident the breach between them. 
     Nor could the principles of Christ's teaching be united with the forms of Pharisaism. Christ was not to close up the breach that had been made by the teachings of John. He would make more distinct the separation between the old and the new. Jesus further illustrated this fact, saying, "No man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish." The skin bottles which were used as vessels to contain the new wine, after a time became dry and brittle, and were then worthless to serve the same purpose again. In this familiar illustration Jesus presented the condition of the Jewish leaders. Priests and scribes and rulers were fixed in a rut of ceremonies and traditions. Their hearts had become contracted, like the dried-up wine skins to which He had compared them. While they remained satisfied with a legal religion, it was impossible for them to become the depositaries of the living truth of heaven. They thought their own righteousness all-sufficient, and did not desire that a new element should be brought into their religion. The good will of God to men they did not accept as something apart from themselves. They connected it with their own merit because of their good works. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul could find no place for union with the religion of the Pharisees, made up of ceremonies and the injunctions of men. The effort to unite the teachings of Jesus with the established religion would be vain. The vital truth of God, like fermenting wine, would burst the old, decaying bottles of the Pharisaical tradition. 
     The Pharisees thought themselves too wise to need instruction, too righteous to need salvation, too highly honored to need the honor that comes from Christ. The Saviour turned away from them to find others who would receive the message of heaven. In the untutored fishermen, in the publican at the market place, in the woman of Samaria, in the common people who heard Him gladly, He found His new bottles for the new wine. The instrumentalities to be used in the gospel work are those souls who gladly receive the light which God sends them. These are His agencies for imparting the knowledge of truth to the world. If through the grace of Christ His people will become new bottles, He will fill them with new wine. 
     The teaching of Christ, though it was represented by the new wine, was not a new doctrine, but the revelation of that which had been taught from the beginning. But to the Pharisees the truth of God had lost its original significance and beauty. To them Christ's teaching was new in almost every respect, and it was unrecognized and unacknowledged. 
     Jesus pointed out the power of false teaching to destroy the appreciation and desire for truth. "No man," He said, "having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." All the truth that has been given to the world through patriarchs and prophets shone out in new beauty in the words of Christ. But the scribes and Pharisees had no desire for the precious new wine. Until emptied of the old traditions, customs, and practices, they had no place in mind or heart for the teachings of Christ. They clung to the dead forms, and turned away from the living truth and the power of God. 
     It was this that proved the ruin of the Jews, and it will prove the ruin of many souls in our own day. Thousands are making the same mistake as did the Pharisees whom Christ reproved at Matthew's feast. Rather than give up some cherished idea, or discard some idol of opinion, many refuse the truth which comes down from the Father of light. They trust in self, and depend upon their own wisdom, and do not realize their spiritual poverty. They insist on being saved in some way by which they may perform some important work. When they see that there is no way of weaving self into the work, they reject the salvation provided. 
     A legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. Fasting or prayer that is actuated by a self-justifying spirit is an abomination in the sight of God. The solemn assembly for worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the imposing sacrifice, proclaim that the doer of these things regards himself as righteous, and as entitled to heaven; but it is all a deception. Our own works can never purchase salvation. 
     As it was in the days of Christ, so it is now; the Pharisees do not know their spiritual destitution. To them comes the message, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Revelation 3:17, 18. Faith and love are the gold tried in the fire. But with many the gold has become dim, and the rich treasure has been lost. The righteousness of Christ is to them as a robe unworn, a fountain untouched. To them it is said, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Revelation 2:4, 5. 
     "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest.

[Richard Myers]

If we were to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Christ, we would be converted daily. And, in reading a chapter a day from the Desire of Ages, we would also understand not only the simplicity fo the gospel, we would understand the message that will bring the Latter Rain.

In closing this chapter on Levi-Matthew, we find the truth about what conversion is and what it is not. We must born of the Spirit, we must have a new heart, we must have a cleansed heart that is emptied of ALL selfishness.

   "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest. 

Not tomorrow, not maybe if you live until the end, but today. It is the promise of Christ. " 36:26   A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 
"I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ezekiel 36:26.   

1 John
 3:7   Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 
 3:8   He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 
 3:9   Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

The whole Bible says the same thing, but most professing Christians not only do not believe this, they will object strongly against it. This is because the church suffered today as it did when Christ came to this earth a human baby. The teachers have perverted the truth.

The next to last paragraph in the chapter better explains this:

As it was in the days of Christ, so it is now; the Pharisees do not know their spiritual destitution. To them comes the message, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Revelation 3:17, 18. Faith and love are the gold tried in the fire. But with many the gold has become dim, and the rich treasure has been lost. The righteousness of Christ is to them as a robe unworn, a fountain untouched. To them it is said, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Revelation 2:4, 5. 

Jesus is coming soon, there is no time to delay in making matters right. The Laodicean message is one of great promise, for it reveals what we need to do in order to be saved. We must repent. Jesus offers the three things we must buy of Him. What is the cost to purchase faith that works by love, the character of Christ, and the Holy Spirit? Is it too much to pay? No! They are offered free of charge, but we must give up our sin polluted hearts. By beholding Him we shall be changed daily by His Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).

[Richard Myers]

    When Jesus bade Peter and his companions follow Him, immediately they left their boats and nets. Some of these disciples had friends dependent on them for support; but when they received the Saviour's invitation, they did not hesitate, and inquire, How shall I live, and sustain my family? They were obedient to the call; and when afterward Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?" they could answer, "Nothing." Luke 22:35. 

There are many who will argue against this evidence of faith. Why? Because they do not have such faith. There are some in the world who have done as these disciples did. And, in doing so, they have a cross to bear. But, that cross is light, as painful as it may be. God's faithful will be persecuted today as the prophets of old were. We are to be His witnesses in this. When things go well, we are His witnesses, but when things do not go well, we are even better witnesses as we abide in Christ. All of the fruits that the Spirit bring will be seen in the life no matter how bad things are. This is the Christian witness. Look at some of the true martyrs today.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

I appreciate the posts that you have shared, Richard. Indeed, the great need of God's people at present is to experience revival and reformation--to have a faith that works by love and purifies the soul. How? By beholding the loveliness of Jesus--seeing one's own sinfulness in contrast, and surrendering all the heart to Christ for Him to purify and cleanse it.

Matthew-Levi is a beautiful example of what Christ can make of a man who, through full surrender of self, is willing to closely follow the Master Worker whose lessons and life are a constant testimony of self-sacrificing love. It is amazing how the gospel of Matthew comes to us from this very disciple, who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has written one of the most-loved and most-read of the four gospels. Matthew-Levi turned His heart fully over to Christ. While Peter and Andrew were called to Christ in their poverty, Matthew-Levi was called in his wealth--but all that this world can afford is in comparison as nothingness to what Christ offers.

The amazing thing is that what Christ offers as far as truth is concerned is actually nothing new--it is simply a reiteration of the very foundational principles of the gospel that have been sounded ever since humanity fell in the Garden of Eden, when, to Satan (who was using the medium of the serpent), Christ declared, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15). This promise to put enmity in the heart is the promise of the work of Christ by His Spirit to draw men to Himself, to implant in the heart that surrenders fully to Him a hatred for sin. We cannot repent apart from Christ, and we cannot be saved apart from a full surrender. Look to the cross of Christ and fully realize what selfishness costs the heart of God!

I was contemplating last night that Calvary's cross is an eternal reminder of the heinous character of selfishness, and that to uproot that satanic principle from our hearts, there was no other way for us to be saved than to "look and live"--to see the love of God in contrast to the lusts and passions of the flesh. In Christ alone is there freedom (the divine power through the Holy Spirit) from yielding to the clamors of the fallen nature. The truth of the gospel remains unchanged. But God sends more light to show us His truth more clearly as the deceptions have multiplied. Let us be so thankful for the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and especially the revelation of Christ in The Desire of Ages!!!

We see this truth brought out clearly in this chapter:

"The teaching of Christ, though it was represented by the new wine, was not a new doctrine, but the revelation of that which had been taught from the beginning. But to the Pharisees the truth of God had lost its original significance and beauty. To them Christ's teaching was new in almost every respect, and it was unrecognized and unacknowledged." {DA 279.2}

What Christ is offering today may seem new and strange because it is so common to hear that a person can still retain justification while they commit a known sin. But sin reveals a separation from God (Isaiah 59:2). We are either Christ's entirely, or none of His. We either are abiding in Christ by His Spirit, living a life of willing obedience through complete self-surrender, or we are retaining our own ways and living by the works of the flesh. There is no middle ground. It is that sense of being "saved in sin" that leads so many to fail to discern that the Laodicean message is specifically addressed to them (see Revelation 3:14-21). While many would not openly say you can sin and be saved, there are many ways in which sin is excused. Yet Christ offers something better than our own ways. He offers us freedom through a living connection with Him. And when we are experiencing that living connection by faith in Him, He makes it evident by filling us with the fruits of His Spirit (so not one is missing) and leading us to obediently practice every known statute of truth that He has revealed to us. Look to Jesus--and live!

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Pastor Sean!  It is not a new doctrine we are continually sharing and read about today, it is the same gospel preached by the prophets from the beginning. What is the good news? It is the truth that by beholding the loveliness of Jesus, we are changed into His character (2 Cor. 3:18).  Grace is the transforming power that turns sinners into saints. There is great miracle working power in love. When we discover we are in bondage to sin (Romans 7), we then are pointed to Jesus as the only power to set us free (Romans 8:2). "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." We must free ourselves from the false teaching on what it means to be "in Christ Jesus." We must learn that the whole heart must be given to Him that we might be set free from the sin that so easily besets us. We ought not resist the ones sent to speak to us as did Jesus to Nicodemus when He told Him his true condition (John 3). "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Hebrews  12:12.  It is the result of allowing Jesus into our hearts. Then we are "in Christ Jesus" and He in us.

As a people, we remain in a Laodicean condition not knowing our true standing before God. As a people, we remain in bondage to sin thinking we are saved. Such a deception! It is not fatal if we will take time to behold the "gold tried in the fire."

     As it was in the days of Christ, so it is now; the Pharisees do not know their spiritual destitution. To them comes the message, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Revelation 3:17, 18. Faith and love are the gold tried in the fire. But with many the gold has become dim, and the rich treasure has been lost. The righteousness of Christ is to them as a robe unworn, a fountain untouched. To them it is said, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Revelation 2:4, 5.
     "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest.

Not at the end of one's life, not at the end of the world, but just as soon as the soul surrenders itself completely to the love of God, the character of Christ will be manifest in the repentant sinner! It is the greatest miracle God can perform, to turn a sinner into a saint!!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Praise the Lord, Richard! Jesus is willing to perform this miracle in the soul of every one who comes to Him. He is no respecter of persons, and calls all to repentance. Let us like Levi-Matthew be willing to leave all for the call Christ has on us. How? By beholding Jesus' perfect, lovely character, the matchless charms of His divine grace. We will see ourselves as we really are--as those who continually are in need of Jesus. A saint is a new creation, who before surrendering entirely to Jesus was living a selfish life of sin. But the old ways must be constantly kept under by divine grace--righteousness by faith can only be begun and maintained by the vital connection of the soul with Christ through the impartation of the Holy Spirit--by abiding!

As we work for souls in connection with Christ, let us like Christ never become discouraged because we do not see immediate fruit from our labor. Let us remember the way Christ consistently sowed the principles of true righteousness by faith, which would bear fruit as hearts would surrender fully to the Holy Spirit:

At such gatherings as this, not a few were impressed by the Saviour's teaching who did not acknowledge Him until after His ascension. When the Holy Spirit was poured out, and three thousand were converted in a day, there were among them many who first heard the truth at the table of the publicans, and some of these became messengers of the gospel. To Matthew himself the example of Jesus at the feast was a constant lesson. The despised publican became one of the most devoted evangelists, in his own ministry following closely in his Master's steps. 

There is a valuable lesson here--and that is that we are not to judge people's hearts by what we see on the outside. Christ discerned that in Levi-Matthew was a heart that was susceptible to the influence of divine grace, and the call addressed to Him was not in vain. Let us pray that Christ's patient, wooing ministry of love by His Spirit and His angels will not be in vain for us, and that we in union and communion with Christ may go forth to share the love that we are experiencing daily in spending this "thoughtful hour" in contemplation of the life of Christ. What joy we have in seeing Jesus so clearly together!

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Pastor Sean!    It is the heart that God wants. Jesus tells us that the evidence of love for Him are the fruits of the Spirit. When one is born of the Spirit, he manifests the fruits of the Spirit, not one is missing. This is the evidence the one responsible for baptizing must find so that one is not buried alive. But, in this chapter we are not talking about finding those already converted, but not judging those who appear hopeless. Who can know the heart of the unbeliever? Is it ready to be purified? Is the sinner tired of sin? Who can know, not us.

Which is easier to convert, a Laodicean or a harlot? Which is more open to truth, one who is cold or lukewarm?


   "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Pastor Sean!    It is the heart that God wants. Jesus tells us that the evidence of love for Him are the fruits of the Spirit. When one is born of the Spirit, he manifests the fruits of the Spirit, not one is missing. This is the evidence the one responsible for baptizing must find so that one is not buried alive. But, in this chapter we are not talking about finding those already converted, but not judging those who appear hopeless. Who can know the heart of the unbeliever? Is it ready to be purified? Is the sinner tired of sin? Who can know, not us.

Which is easier to convert, a Laodicean or a harlot? Which is more open to truth, one who is cold or lukewarm?

I appreciate your post and your questions, Richard. If I am out in the cold in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, I am VERY willing to ask for help to get warm, heated up. But if I am lukewarm, I may feel no need. So it is with spiritual things.

A harlot or open sinner is more readily converted quite often if the loveliness of Jesus is truly presented to them--because they see their need. But a Laodicean who feels "saved" without a living connection with Christ may not desire something greater, because they do not feel the need. The reception of a mixture of truth and error causes one to lose their hunger for the genuine.

Jesus pointed out the power of false teaching to destroy the appreciation and desire for truth. "No man," He said, "having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." All the truth that has been given to the world through patriarchs and prophets shone out in new beauty in the words of Christ. But the scribes and Pharisees had no desire for the precious new wine. Until emptied of the old traditions, customs, and practices, they had no place in mind or heart for the teachings of Christ. They clung to the dead forms, and turned away from the living truth and the power of God. 

Let us cry out to Jesus that He will not only help us to see His loveliness and truth, but that He will create in our hearts a true relish for truth and a desire to share with others what a precious friend we have found in Jesus--just like Levi-Matthew!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

This morning I reflect on the contrast between the way the rich young ruler went away sorrowful, and yet Christ had something better to give him. How encouraging to see Levi-Matthew, a rich man, choose to leave all to follow Christ and receive true riches! What a joy to know that the gospel of His grace can change ALL HEARTS that are fully yielded to Him!

 The Prince of heaven was among His people. The greatest gift of God had been given to the world. Joy to the poor; for Christ had come to make them heirs of His kingdom. Joy to the rich; for He would teach them how to secure eternal riches. Joy to the ignorant; He would make them wise unto salvation. Joy to the learned; He would open to them deeper mysteries than they had ever fathomed; truths that had been hidden from the foundation of the world would be opened to men by the Saviour's mission.

Let us treasure up the truths of God's word as revealed in Christ, and value His infinite love!

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Pastor Sean. Jesus wants to teach us all how to secure "eternal riches."  That leads one's mind to compare the riches offered in this world to the riches Christ offers to all who will give up the things of this world, for Him. Whether it be houses and lands, cars and fashionable clothes, whether fame or fortune, in order to inherit heavenly riches we must give up our pride and the love of this world for Christ. If we do not come to the point of loving Jesus with the whole heart, soul, and mind, we shall not receive the heavenly riches.

It would be good to contemplate what those heavenly gifts are that are being lost by selfishness. Do we hate sin? Do we enjoy the nasty people in this world? Have we become so accustomed to the sin that surrounds us that we don't mind living here? How much do we hate the selfishness we see that leads to death? Do we hate the selfishness in our own flesh? When we want God more than sin, then we will spend more time with Jesus than we do in seeking the things of this world. Then, we may have a clearer picture of the things which we cannot see which are eternal. Even before entering heaven, we may have a taste of heaven here, for heaven begins on this earth. When we learn to love Jesus with the whole heart, He will cleanse our evil hearts and fill them with every one of the fruits of the Spirit. When we abide in Christ, He abides in us through His Representative, the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance all will be seen in the life, not one of these will be missing when we are converted, when the heart is cleansed whiter than snow.

Do we cherish this, the character of Christ, the white raiment promised? In today's reading, it is made abundantly clear this is what Jesus wants for us, today. Not, tomorrow or at the end of this world's history as some teach, but today. Few understand the power of grace to transform the character at the point of conversion. Therefore, they do not understand it is the only way one may secure the riches of Christ and an eternity of love, peace, and joy. Christ wants the whole heart, then we will understand the kingdom of God begins now.

     Matthew "left all, rose up, and followed Him." There was no hesitation, no questioning, no thought of the lucrative business to be exchanged for poverty and hardship. It was enough for him that he was to be with Jesus, that he might listen to His words, and unite with Him in His work.
     So it was with the disciples previously called. When Jesus bade Peter and his companions follow Him, immediately they left their boats and nets. Some of these disciples had friends dependent on them for support; but when they received the Saviour's invitation, they did not hesitate, and inquire, How shall I live, and sustain my family? They were obedient to the call; and when afterward Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?" they could answer, "Nothing." Luke 22:35.
     To Matthew in his wealth, and to Andrew and Peter in their poverty, the same test was brought; the same consecration was made by each. At the moment of success, when the nets were filled with fish, and the impulses of the old life were strongest, Jesus asked the disciples at the sea to leave all for the work of the gospel. So every soul is tested as to whether the desire for temporal good or for fellowship with Christ is strongest.
     Principle is always exacting. No man can succeed in the service of God unless his whole heart is in the work and he counts all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. No man who makes any reserve can be the disciple of Christ, much less can he be His colaborer. When men appreciate the great salvation, the self-sacrifice seen in Christ's life will be seen in theirs. Wherever He leads the way, they will rejoice to follow. 

And thus we see what it is that we must do in order to obtain the "pearl of great price."  We must appreciate the salvation offered and the cost that makes it available. And, how do we come to this understanding? You are doing it now. Those who are reading with us, are learning about the "self-sacrifice seen in Christ's life" and what salvation is. The knowledge of God and the plan of salvation are opened to our blind eyes so that we may see. Let us rejoice in the light so brightly shining upon our path. It is by beholding Jesus that we are being changed into His character day by day. Yes, after we obtain the wedding garment, we continue to develop a stronger character that we might more perfectly reflect our Master. This is our joy to be His witnesses in a world soon to perish.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

I love Jesus and seeing how He taught and dealt with error. Rather than be combative, He was planting truth that would counteract error once the truth was appreciated and understood. So we should learn to teach and implant truth that will help the soul to see light in contrast with the darkness of error and tradition.

Very tenderly Jesus answered them. He did not try to correct their erroneous conception of fasting, but only to set them right in regard to His own mission. And He did this by employing the same figure that the Baptist himself had used in his testimony to Jesus. John had said, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." John 3:29. The disciples of John could not fail to recall these words of their teacher, as, taking up the illustration, Jesus said, "Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?" 

Jesus chose to focus on what was important--His mission. Well would it be for us to put the emphasis where it belongs as we seek to teach and help others who are in error. May we deal very tenderly with them, as we allow Christ to abide in our hearts through an entire surrender!

[Richard Myers]

We want to be filled with the Spirit at all times. We seek not to war against man, but against self and the great deceiver. It is a spiritual battle. The evil in the world and in the church comes in through those who love not the truth, nor the God of truth. We are to be looking for those seeking truth. The majority of the Pharisees were not seeking truth. So it is today. What does Jesus have to say about these poor lost souls? Do we neglect them?

   As it was in the days of Christ, so it is now; the Pharisees do not know their spiritual destitution. To them comes the message, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Revelation 3:17, 18. Faith and love are the gold tried in the fire. But with many the gold has become dim, and the rich treasure has been lost. The righteousness of Christ is to them as a robe unworn, a fountain untouched. To them it is said, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Revelation 2:4, 5.
     "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest.

It is the heart Jesus wants, the whole heart. There is a curse resting upon all who are teaching a false gospel. But, many of the priests in Christ's day were converted after the cross. So, we pray it will be in our day. The Laodicean message will bring about revival and reformation in the church for all who are seeking the truth.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

May we today choose to behold Jesus' loveliness so that He may give us a complete surrender of self moment-by-moment to do the will of God!

     The true fast is no mere formal service. The Scripture describes the fast that God has chosen,--"to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke;" to "draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul." Isaiah 58:6, 10. Here is set forth the very spirit and character of the work of Christ. His whole life was a sacrifice of Himself for the saving of the world. Whether fasting in the wilderness of temptation or eating with the publicans at Matthew's feast, He was giving His life for the redemption of the lost. Not in idle mourning, in mere bodily humiliation and multitudinous sacrifices, is the true spirit of devotion manifested, but it is shown in the surrender of self in willing service to God and man.

Only through an abiding connection with Christ is this possible!

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Pastor Sean. Over and over again, from Genesis to Revelation and in each chapter of this most beautiful revelation of our Lord, we hear the same message. God loves us and He wants our hearts. He wants the whole heart. If we will learn of Him who gave all for us, we will give Him the whole heart.

     When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest.

How can we come to the point of renouncing self, of being truly converted?  It is God's love for us that does it. As we behold the loveliness of Jesus we are transformed in character. If we will look unto the Author and Finisher of our faith, we will  become like Him in character. That is to say, we will manifest His character (2 Cor. 3:18). Such a promise!!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

The opportunity we have to manifest Christ's character is immense and incredible when we realize what we are apart from Him. We are enemies of God by nature--our fallen human nature is justly condemned by a holy God--and yet He came from His throne of indescribable glory to be born as our Brother, live a life of perfect loving obedience by faith, and then die as our Sacrifice! He rose again and ministers for us now in the sanctuary in heaven to give us power to overcome as we behold Him.

Recently I heard a message about the properties of light in connection with the character of God, for "God is light" (1 John 1:5). White light contains three colors--red, blue, and green. The presentation shared how the red is connected with scarlet/sacrifice--hence, self-sacrificing love (Matthew 26:28--Jesus shed His blood for us); the blue is connected with obedience (the Israelites, to remind them of their connection with God through obedience, were to have on their garments a "ribband of blue" Numbers 15:38), and the green is linked with faith ("The green cord represented faith" {Early Writings, page 81, paragraph 1}.) Of the three, faith is the only one that we each receive a measure of, as Romans 12:3 states. The other two elements (lost when Adam and Eve fell) must be restored through beholding Christ and allowing Him to work in us true self-sacrificing love and obedience as we surrender our will to Him continually. When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit are revealed in our lives without one missing--the spectrum of these fruits is none other than being clothed with the light of God's character. Let us look to Jesus!

"'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.' Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest." {The Desire of Ages, page 280, paragraph 4} 

By beholding Christ continually, losing sight of ourselves in the amazing revelation of Jesus' loveliness and purity of character, we realize our continual need of Him and grow in His grace--a grace that will elevate and bless those with whom we come in contact. God is faithful! 

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Pastor Sean! How could we not love Jesus with the whole heart when we know Him as it is our privilege to know Him. His love draws us to Him.

And when we love Him we keep His commandments which builds an ever stronger character to reflect Him more perfectly. I liked this statement also:

   Jesus pointed out the power of false teaching to destroy the appreciation and desire for truth. "No man," He said, "having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." All the truth that has been given to the world through patriarchs and prophets shone out in new beauty in the words of Christ. But the scribes and Pharisees had no desire for the precious new wine. Until emptied of the old traditions, customs, and practices, they had no place in mind or heart for the teachings of Christ. They clung to the dead forms, and turned away from the living truth and the power of God. 

Let us who seek truth, find it in the inspired Word, not in the wisdom of man. Let us behold the life and teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

If we are not fully surrendered to Jesus Christ, and yet seek to maintain the forms of religion and faith without a vital connection with Jesus continually, we are in a lost condition and need to realize how much Jesus loves us, and that we can do no good thing apart from Him. Matthew-Levi responded to Jesus' call to be His disciple (Matthew 9:9). But we must at every step keep our eyes fixed on Jesus by faith, continue to surrender fully to Him, and it is only as we do this that we can be saved out of a Laodicean condition of thinking we are saved when we are actually lost. The evidence of Christ's true indwelling in the soul by the Holy Spirit is how His self-sacrificing love is manifest in all of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives without one missing, as we gladly follow all the light of His law that we know, for Jesus said, "If ye love Me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Love is a motive the natural heart cannot produce--only Christ can implant this when we surrender fully, He gives us a new heart and a new mind, and He makes us partakers of the "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). Praise God for the power of His grace to help us see our need and respond to Jesus as our only remedy and hope!

As it was in the days of Christ, so it is now; the Pharisees do not know their spiritual destitution. To them comes the message, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Revelation 3:17, 18. Faith and love are the gold tried in the fire. But with many the gold has become dim, and the rich treasure has been lost. The righteousness of Christ is to them as a robe unworn, a fountain untouched. To them it is said, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Revelation 2:4, 5.  {The Desire of Ages, page 280, paragraph 3}
     "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest. {The Desire of Ages, page 280, paragraph 4}

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Pastor Sean. God wants the whole heart. If we don't surrender all, then self remains alive and we will not have any of the fruits of the Spirit in the life because the Spirit is not in the heart.

Principle is always exacting. No man can succeed in the service of God unless his whole heart is in the work and he counts all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. No man who makes any reserve can be the disciple of Christ, much less can he be His colaborer. When men appreciate the great salvation, the self-sacrifice seen in Christ's life will be seen in theirs. Wherever He leads the way, they will rejoice to follow. 

[Dorine]

Thank you Richard for the reading of this chapter. I followed along as you read and I was blest.
Many things touched me this morning but this one thing stood out.

"Matthew longed to bring his former associates to Jesus. Accordingly he made a feast at his own house, and called together his relatives and friends. Not only were publicans included, but many others who were of doubtful reputation, and were proscribed by their more scrupulous neighbors.........At such gatherings as this, not a few were impressed by the Saviour's teaching who did not acknowledge Him until after His ascension. When the Holy Spirit was poured out, and three thousand were converted in a day, there were among them many who first heard the truth at the table of the publicans, and some of these became messengers of the gospel. To Matthew himself the example of Jesus at the feast was a constant lesson. The despised publican became one of the most devoted evangelists, in his own ministry following closely in his Master's steps."

This truth should wipe away any pride or self righteousness that may be lurking in our hearts. I'm ashamed to say that there have been times in my past when I have given up on some or haven't even tried to reach them because they seemed so hopeless. Although God has taught me differently since then this chapter made me examine my heart once again. I love the part that says that at these gatherings there were many who were impressed by Jesus' teachings but did not acknowledge Him until after His resurrection. There may be those whose paths we have crossed that have accepted Jesus unbeknownst to us but will be in heaven. What a thrill that will be.

It matters not who we are, where we have been, what we have done; what matters is whether or not we are willing to forsake sin and surrender our whole heart to Christ because it is only then that He can make us into a new creature, which as Pastor Sean has pointed out, will reveal the fruits of the Spirit with not one missing. Do we really understand what that means.

[Richard Myers]

Amen, dear Sister Dorine!  It means that when we are converted, we will love for whom Christ died, no matter how much they have hurt us. This is the evidence of a whole heart surrender to Christ. It may be that we cannot talk with someone, or even go near them, but that does not mean we can judge them, their future. We need to pray for those who despitefully use us. Even leaders in rebellion may be transformed. Saul of Tarsus is such an example.

It was the love that Stephen had for him, even though he was responsible for his death, that allowed the Spirit to reveal grace that eventually led to his conversion and his writing much of the New Testament! What a lesson for us!!