The Christian the World's Bible
“V7TE are the light of the world; a city -”- that is set on a hill can not be hid. This is a timely word from the Master to the thousands who are just now making a public profession of him before the world. For every one who enters Christ’s Church, enters not only into peculiar relations towards him, but towards the unconverted. They will watch closely for “fruits,” and they have a right to expect that every Christian should live worthy of the name. The most powerful argument to move and to win a soul to Jesus, is the daily observation of true, brave, cheerful, holy, Christian lives. Every young convert must not only be looking to Jesus, but remember also that the world are looking at him.
Twice over, Paul repeats the urgent admonition to Christ’s followers to walk consistently before “them that are without.11 In one verse he says “walk in wisdom,” which does not mean a plausible prudence, but the wisdom of obeying God. In the other verse he says “walk honestly towards them that are without.” A Christian is the world’s Bible. He is the only Bible that the majority of unconverted people look at. They scan the pages closely, and often chuckle when they discover blots and disgraceful records there. It is a terrible injury to a man of the world to have his mind prejudiced and embittered towards the religion of Christ by the inconsistent conduct of professed Christians. Therefore for the sake of the outside world, as well as for the honor of Jesus, all church-members are exhorted to “walk honestly towards them that are without.”
Dean Alford translates the Greek word “becomingly.” Dr. Samuel Davidson, in his excellent version, reads it “seemly.” Other good meanings of the word are, nobly, decorously, honorably. They each describe the conduct which Christians should exhibit towards “outsiders.”
Is it becoming for a follower of Jesus Christ to cheapen or degrade before the world either the holy Word or the day, or the ordinances of God? Flippant burlesques of the Bible come under this category. All disparaging criticism of sound faithful preaching of the Gospel, uttered before the unconverted, is destructive of the influence of the discourse upon such souls. Church-members often unwittingly kill their own pastor’s sermons! Every thoughtless criticism or silly cavil that hinders the effect of the Gospel upon a sinner, is itself a sin.
Is it becoming for God’s people to degrade the services of God’s house to the level of the lyceum or the concert-room? Is it seemly for a follower of Jesus to belittle, either by unthinking scoffs, or carping ridicule, the services of worship, and the proclamations of heavenly truth on which eternal destinies are hanging? We seldom hear a Roman Catholic speak triflingly of his religion or its ordinances. We wish we could say as much for all Protestants.
An honest walk refers not only to business integrity, but to every relation of the Christian to the outside world. Fraud is always abominable; but for a church-member to overreach or swindle an “outsider, “is a double sin. It is a sin against Jesus, and also against a neighbor’s soul. It may harden him against the word of life. Christians must not complain if they are watched. They were intended to be watched. “Ye are my witnesses.’7 “Ye are a city set upon an hill.” The Christian who so lives as to win a soul to the Saviour, shall have a star in his crown; he who so lives as to repel a soul from the cross, will have the blood of that ruined one upon his skirts.
The demand of the day is for a higher standard and style of Christian life. Every follower of Christ must represent his religion purely, loftily, impressively before that multitude of “Bible-readers” whose only Bible is the Christian. Whoever else betrays a trust, the Christian never should. Whoever else may play the sneak, or the poltroon, or the dissembler, the Christian never should. Let the follower of Satan choose a tortuous path if he will; the Christian must walk by the air-line.
It is always a terrible condemnation of a church-member that no one should suspect him of being one. We have heard of a young lady who engaged for many months in a round of frivolities — utterly forgetful of her covenant with Christ. One Sabbath morning, on being asked by a gay companion to accompany him to a certain place, she declined on the ground that it was the Communion-Sabbath in her own church. “Are you a communicant?” was the cutting reply. The arrow went to her heart. She felt that she had denied the Lord who died for her. That keen rebuke brought her to repentance, and a reconversion.
Our prayer for every new beginner in the Christian life, is that no one may ever have occasion to raise the question, Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?