Resisting Apostasy with God’s Love in Our Hearts

“The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”* (Romans 5:5) A Russian pastor was asked if he knew that informers attended their secret meetings for the purpose of identifying and persecuting those who worshiped there. He replied, “Yes, we know that, and we know who they are.” When he was questioned as to why they were allowed to attend, he simply replied, “They have souls, too.” Such is the strength of God’s love for all humanity which He sheds abroad in our hearts.

This love will keep us burdened for any perceived spiritual condition which is less than it ought to be, and will help us to suffer long and be kind. It will keep us laboring to “restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”* (Galatians 6:1) It will put a faithfulness in us toward them, for “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”* (Proverbs 27:6) (See also Song of Solomon 5:2-7.) In the fear of God, knowing the terror of the Lord, we attempt to persuade men of the errors of their ways and the rightness and essential nature of God’s ways (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

I have reason to deeply appreciate this. After backsliding from God and then returning to Him, I moved to a spiritual congregation to recover. Shortly after my arrival and confession of what I had done, I began to testify at Wednesday night prayer meetings. The testimonies seemed like good testimonies to me, although not particularly blessed. But there were saints in that congregation who loved me and were faithful to me. The second Wednesday night that I testified, I was met after services by one of the pastors (a dear friend of mine). He said, “Brother Mark, we cannot accept your testimony. It is not spontaneous enough.” This was hard to bear, and tears came to my eyes, for I knew that I was doing the best I could. That, of course, was the problem, for it was my doing, and not God’s doing. But the Lord helped me to honestly accept the admonition; the fear of God came on me; and I waited on Him. After some time (I do not remember just how many weeks), I testified, and the Lord was in it. It taught me something. I have deeply appreciated the faithfulness of the brother to my soul—I recognize it as the genuine love of God.

Sister Katherine Helm had the following experience:

As I began to pray, the hush of His presence pervaded the room, and I sank lower and lower at His feet, then began to rise, and was lifted up into the heavenlies. A great light appeared, and I knew Jesus was coming with healing for the boy.

As the light drew near, I saw Him, the utterly indescribable, majestic Christ (Revelation 1:14-15), descending. With a hush of spirit and sacred awe, yet great joy, I held the vision. That holy awe increased till it was almost overwhelming. The poor mother was afraid, and began to pray for herself, and call on the Lord to have mercy on her soul.

The reason that she was so afraid, when she saw that light, was that she thought that Jesus was actually coming back to earth again, and she was not ready…. I understood, and was in that blessed receiving attitude for the healing of the boy. But her cries for mercy increased, and shocking to say, I allowed myself to be diverted. A voice as of human sympathy seemed to say, “Poor Sister Blank,” and I responded, “Yes, Lord, help her.” I was diverted but an instant, but when I lifted my eyes again toward the heavenlies, the descent of the Savior had been arrested. He had paused and was actually ascending, the glory was fading, and was soon entirely withdrawn; and prayer and praise alike subsided. The pastor quietly slipped away, and the father said, “You folks can pray as long as you like, but I have to go.” But the spirit of prayer was not restored. The mother did get real help, the boy was blessed in his soul. (He had been really converted before his mind became so affected.) His pillow was wet with happy tears and his face was shining. But he was not healed. I appreciated the vision of Jesus, and the blessing; and yet I went home with such a sense of falling short, of failure and loss, yet was wonderfully comforted by His gracious presence that seemed to pervade the whole earth (Revelation 18:1)….

Turning aside in weak human sympathy, instead of leaving everything to the Lord, had closed the channel of faith through which He was descending with that miraculous intervention which we wanted to accomplish for the boy, and would have included blessing for her, and others, beyond what we could have asked or thought. It was an all-important, essential lesson, one I did not forget; but oh, at so great a cost.

[Katherine Helm; The Lure of Divine Love, “Diverted Faith and Sorrow for Sin”]

The lesson is very clear. It is the danger of substitution. Substituting weak human sympathy and love for His faithful love. Substituting our weak and, oh, so fallible version of longsuffering for His longsuffering, etc.

If we make this mistake, strange things happen (from a spiritual standpoint, at least). We get lost. Things become confusing. When does longsuffering turn into a kind of condoning? “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants.”* (Revelation 2:20) “Because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.”* (1 Samuel 3:13) No doubt Eli suffered loooooooooooooooong with his boys, but not in the will of God!