“But ye did not so learn Christ; if so be that ye heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit .
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The one thing truly to reconcile all differences is to walk in the light. So St. Paul teaches us in Philippians 3:16. After setting forth the loftiest idea of human endeavor in declaring the summit of his own aspiration he says, not “This must be your endeavor also, or you cannot be saved;” but, “If in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless whereto we have already attained, let us walk by that same.” Observe what widest conceivable scope is given by the apostle to honest opinion, even in things of grandest import! The one essential point with him is that whereto we have attained, what we have seen to be true, we walk by that. In such walking, and in such walking only, love will grow, truth will grow; the soul, then first in its genuine element and true relation to God, will see into reality that was before but a blank to it; and he who has promised to teach, will teach abundantly. Faster and faster will the glory of the Lord dawn upon the hearts and minds of his people so walking; fast and far will the knowledge of him spread, for truth of action, both proceeding and following truth of word, will prepare the way before him. Only when a man begins to do the thing he knows, does he begin to be able to think aright; then God comes to him in a new and higher way. When man joins with God, then is all impotence and discord cast out. Until then, God is in contest with the gates of hell that open in the man, and can but hold his own; when the man joins him, then is Satan foiled.
Commentary
by James House
For today's commentary, a collection of related George MacDonald quotes:
"When I have on good grounds made up my mind to a thing, I always feel as if I had promised God to do it; and indeed it amounts to the same thing very nearly." (from The Marquis of Lossie)
"She judged, she accepted, she admired, she refused, she condemned, but she never did. To many souls hell itself seems a less frightful alternative than the agony of resolve, of turning, of being born again; ... how is it that any one who has been educated in Christianity, yet does not become the disciple of Jesus Christ, avoids becoming an atheist?" (from Paul Faber, Surgeon)
"I know not one advanced Christian who tries to obey for the hope of Heaven or the fear of hell. Such ideas have long vanished from such a man. He loves God; he loves truth; he loves his fellow, and knows he must love him more." (from Paul Faber, Surgeon)
"The man here that doeth most service, that aideth others the most to the obtaining of their honest desires, is the man who standeth highest with the Lord of the place, and his reward and honour is, to be enabled to the spending of himself yet more for the good of his fellows." (from Thomas Wingfold, Curate)
"The capacity of the old man for taking in what was new, was wonderful, and yet not to be wondered at, seeing it was the natural result of the constant practice of what he learned—for all truth understood becomes duty. ...To him that obeys well, the truth comes easy; to him who does not obey, it comes not, or comes in forms of fear and dismay. The true, that is the obedient man, cannot help seeing the truth, for it is the very business of his being—the natural concern, the correlate of his soul." (from Warlock o' Glenwarlock)
"And we ought always to act upon the ideal; it is the only safe ground of action. When that which contradicts and resists, and would ruin our ideal, opposes us, then we must take measures; but not till then can we take measures, or know what measures it may be necessary to take. But the ideal itself is the only thing worth striving after. Remember what our Lord himself said: 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (from The Seaboard Parish)
"'To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light, ... Hast gained thy entrance, virgin wise and pure.'
... for all of us the road _has_ to be walked, every step, and the uttermost farthing paid. The gate will open wide to welcome us, but it will not come to meet us. Neither is it any use to turn aside; it only makes the road longer and harder." (from Mary Marston)
Let us choose to walk in and with the light that we have received, that we may receive more. We have the duty to do so.