Who is on the Lord's Side?
FOR Christ, or against him, we must be. Many try to be neutral, but they cannot be. Many profess to be on the Lord's side who are not. How can we decide? By what means can we ascertain? Who has the heart? With whom are our sweetest and warmest thoughts? Who has our best energies? Who can command our time, our property, our talents? If we are on the Lord's side, we have given him our hearts, and we often present them to him afresh. If we are on the Lord's side, our thoughts are with him, and our sweetest thoughts are of him. If we are on the Lord's side, we have consecrated ourselves and all we have to his service, praise, honor, and glory. If we are on the Lord's side, we are against sin,—we have no friendship with the world,—we are opposed to all Christ-dishonoring errors. We desire to bear his image, breathe his spirit, do his will, and please him well in all things. Brethren, let us be decided,—so decided that there may be no possibility of persons being mistaken in us, but that every one that is acquainted with us may see at once that we are on the Lord's side. We cannot honor God, we cannot conquer Satan, we cannot crucify the flesh, we cannot make a good impression on the world, without decision. Let us therefore wear the Lord's livery,—let us wait on our Master continually,—let us throw our whole hearts into his cause. Let us take his friends for our friends, his foes for our foes, his cause for our cause, and make his honor and glory the chief end of our lives. He has told us that no man can serve two opposite masters, nor can we serve God and Mammon. Let us then be on the Lord's side always, everywhere, and in all things; so shall we be happy, so shall we be holy, and so shall we be honorable. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.'—Matt. xii. 30.