Deeper Things: Chapter 1 - A Feast of Fat Things
By John Hames
"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:4-7
Some of the deepest, richest and sweetest things in the Christian experience are found in St. Paul's letter to the Philippians. "Rejoice in the Lord always" is one of the highest commands ever given to a child of God. This means more than a camp-meeting blessing, bodily demonstration, or mere ecstasy, which soon passes away. The peculiar joy of which we are writing is an inward artesian well, springing up out of a pure heart! This kind of joy does not depend on outward circumstances, but whether we be popular or persecuted, it holds good! Some people seem to think a life of this kind is an impossibility, but if we live in Romans 8:28, it is easy to rejoice always, since we know that God is working everything in Heaven and earth for our good. What does it matter whether "flowers" or "mud" are flung at us if we are God's children and in the center of His will, for He will overrule all that men or devils may bring against us, and cause the wrath of man to praise Him! Joy, the joy of the Lord, arouses and quickens every dormant faculty of the soul, and brings to the surface the hidden gifts of the Spirit, until one stands transfigured before his own eyes. It acts like a heavenly wine to the soul and the tired body, and under its influence one goes forth thrilled and enthused to carry burdens and lift loads under which others go down. Again, joy is attractive! There is nothing that will attract and arrest this pleasure-loving, hell-going age, empty the worldly resorts, and fill the empty churches, like Pentecostal joy. Let the Church obtain it, and the multitudes will flock to her doors.
"Let your moderation be known unto all men." The best Greek scholars say the word "moderation in the above Scripture does not bring out the full meaning expressed in the original word; it has been translated "yieldingness". What a beautiful trait of character! It is Christlike to "yield" where there is no principle involved, and where we do not have to compromise to do so. Oh, the divisions that would have been avoided in the Church and the home if some had only learned to yield! It is the sign of a magnanimous soul to yield in order to keep the unity of the Spirit. Another rendering of the word "moderation" is "gentleness," which is not a bad word by any means. Gentleness is a refined, cultured spirit, where all roughness, rudeness and coarseness has been burned out. It is a trait of Godlikeness to be gentle. He never does anything in a rough, uncouth way, but often breaks the hardest hearts of sinners by a "touch of gentleness!"
The spirit of gentleness comes through crucifixion and suffering, and if we desire to possess this spirit, we must have the "Adamic flint" crushed out of us by the mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost, and submit to the refining fire through which every soul must go! "Let it be known to all men."
It should be known in the voice. When one is angry it will show itself in an excited, uncontrollable voice, whereas a soft answer disarms prejudice and turneth away wrath. It is impossible to make men believe we have the spirit of Christ, so long as we scold and rant. A gentle spirit is one that has been conquered, melted and subdued. One possessing a gentle spirit is easy to approach and live with, and is too great to do a little, mean, underhanded trick.
Another beautiful rendering is: "Let your humility be known unto all men."
Humility is a lovely, but rare, grace. It is one of the most beautiful graces implanted in the human heart. Out of the soil of humility will spring all the other graces of the Spirit. It is the very woof of the soul, and causes one to be little in his own eyes, and saves from getting sore or taking offense when overlooked and slighted. You can trace nearly all the splits in the Holiness Movement to the lack of humility and to an intense desire for leadership. A meek spirit in the Church or home is as refreshing as an oasis with waving palm trees and cool springs is to a weary traveler.
