From the book: Friends of Jesus
FRIENDS OF JESUS #4 - Sermon #289   Go to the book "IF YE DO" IS PERSONAL	Friends of Jesus #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7

"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," JOH 15:14.

The theme of this message is the personal pronoun ye. "If ye do" is personal. Everything covered in this verse which centers back to the personal pronoun, ye, so it is to be taken home to us personally.

In Proverbs we are taught that we must cover sin; love covers sin. Therefore, we don't talk about people. Right? Wrong! We easily talk about the one who talks about everybody. Next thing we know we've spent an hour talking about someone. It is so easy to do and most of us are guilty of doing it; we must see this in a personal sense.

In the previous message it was pointed out that justification is directly related to the command in our text. We want justification on a personal basis, so the personal application will be discussed now. What we want to talk about is the pronoun ye; it's personal. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."

I remember a visit with my children when they were young. They asked, "Dad, if we would get a marriage partner who is from our own denomination, as far as you are concerned, would that be your pleasure?"

"No," I answered, "that isn't quite enough. It is much more personal than that; it is important that you find one who has a heart that is tender for the will of God. You may well find a partner from within any denomination who is still void of God's grace.

"The fact that a person may be a member of any given church does not make them a desirable life's partner. It is much more personal than that. You want to find an individual who clearly shows by their walk, as well as by their talk and attitude, that they are born again. Then when you get it right down to the fine line, it may not even be within the denomination where you were raised."

To be the bride of Christ is even more personal than our life's partner is. We want justification on a personal basis and much more so than our life's partner. The word Ye in our text must be taken as personal for our justification.

As a result of our fallen nature, it is most obvious that it is easier to see in the next man's heart than our own; this is a weakness we all have. It is so much easier to see where the other person is wrong or where they come short of obeying the Word of God rather than to see the shortcomings in our own heart.

This is nature, and we find it in the beam of self-righteousness as in MAT 7:3, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Yes, we can see the small faults in our neighbour's life but overlook those big offenses in our own life.

The point I am making is that when the Lord Jesus says, "if ye do whatsoever I command you," we are looking at the day of judgment. You and I will be judged on our attitude toward our brother, and on whatsoever you and I have done, whether it be good or evil; it is not what my brother or friend has done, but what I have done! I can keep myself so busy about the mote in my brother's eye that the beam in my own eye is overlooked.

If we are to be friends of Jesus on a personal basis, we must stop to consider the personal pronoun in our text, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." It must become so personal that I become the sinner rather than the brother in my own estimation.

LUK 18:10-14 says, "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

By nature of the fall the Pharisee within our heart can only see the beam in our brother's eye. The Pharisee in the parable was so blinded by his self-righteousness he could only see how good he had been with his "I..., I..., I.…" In contrast, the publican could only plead for mercy on a hell deserving sinner.

Who went home justified? It was the publican, and that is the personal application we need if we want personal justification.

Friend of Jesus, Jesus has a right to your undivided service. Remember which commandment Jesus said was "...the first and great commandment," MAT 22:38.

MAT 22:37 tells us that "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." There is no room here for serving the Lord with a divided heart. See the personal application here as well; "Thou shalt".

In my own experience I have found we can divide our heart; our heart can become set on our enterprises whether it is farming, being a merchant or whatever, and the next thing you know is you are living in spiritual adultery.

It is easier to see this in the next person than it is in ourselves, but when the Lord comes with His Spirit and opens our understanding to see the beam in our own eye, then we begin to understand that He does not want a divided heart.

When God says that love covers sin, He wants to be able to look into our heart and see the type of love that actually covers other people's sins. It must be more than not mouthing their sins to the whole country, but within our own heart we love the people; we desire to heap coals of love upon their heads to help win them into a spirit of repentance rather than harm them.

This Spirit of Christ must prompt us even if the sin is against us personally. That is loving God with all our heart. The commandment also says with all our soul and mind. That is the first and great commandment.

When we love God as we ought and understand that commandment, obedience to the second commandment becomes automatic. It is the automatic effect of obeying the first commandment. That is why we see so much emphasis on the keeping of the second commandment, loving thy neighbour as thyself. We will never have that type of love if we have a divided heart before the Lord.

If our heart is divided, and our soul, and our mind are centered around self so that ugly monster, "I," is our God, we will never walk according to the second table of the law. So when we see the emphasis on the second table of the law, loving our neighbour as ourselves, it is the evidence or fruit of our holy reverence for the first table of the law.

Those who love Jesus with their whole heart are virtuous toward Him. In other words, we must understand that the church is the bride of Christ. We become as devoted to Christ as the virtuous woman whom we find in PRO 31:10-12 is to her husband. "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

These verses teach us a type of the church walking in the favor of God. One cannot just take the masses of people and say they are walking according to the revealed will of God. In other words, it is her heart's desire to serve for the pleasure of her husband; it is the desire of the church to do that which is pleasing to the Lord.

The thing most pleasing to Him is if we love one another as He loved us. He wants to see the fruit of virtue proceeding from our daily walk of life. That is so personal.

If our heart is right with the Lord then our very soul desires to please the Lord Jesus Christ for His redemptive work. There is a distinction between our heart and soul. The soul is the inner emotions of the heart, the inner being of the whole person.

We read in PSA 103:1-5. "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

When my sole desire is to do what is pleasing to the Lord, then it encompasses all that is within me. Every faculty of my whole nature is dissolved in the desire to do what is pleasing to the Lord.

The forgiving spirit that we are seeing in the forgiveness which we have received, which makes our heart ready to forgive the iniquities of our brother. That is so personal. When I have received a faith's view of our blessed Redeemer and what He did to redeem my life from iniquity and destruction, when I see what debt He has forgiven me, then the debt my brother owes me becomes so small that I would be ashamed to even mention it. Why? My sin has taken the life's blood of my Redeemer to purchase my pardon; the little my brother has sinned against me is so small by comparison.

If we truly love God above all for such love in giving His dear Son for my redemption, and our inner soul is so engrossed in the praises of God, then we can't spoil that with an evil thought towards our brother.

Those who love God with their heart and soul will have the mind of Christ. When we see all God does for us, we start having the mind or the Spirit of Christ, and we start to desire, from our heart, our soul, and mind to serve the Lord according to His law of love.

See ROM 12:9-18, "Let love be without dissimulation [that is where the mind of Christ begins]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love [because he is created in the image of God]; in honour preferring one another [that Spirit of Christ desires to tell that which honors our brother, not his shame]; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

If we want forgiveness, we forgive. If you and I want mercy, we must show mercy. This is so practical! If we think we must proclaim the sins of one brother or another so much that we might get them to change their ways, there is a problem with our thinking. We are not being very forgiving. We are sinning against our own soul because the Lord is looking at our heart.

It isn't what my brother is doing; upon which my Lord is going to call me to an accounting, but it is for what I am doing. Am I covering my brother's sins with my life's blood as my Saviour covered mine?

How do we serve the Lord? It is by being kindly affectionate to our brother. On a personal basis did you see the commandments in the verses above? We must examine our own hearts.

How do we act? Are we "rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality"? Do we realize what a great responsibility we have to be hospitable, and especially to those who are the least of His brethren?

Do we "bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not"? That word bless means we do what is for their promotion; we do what promotes their honor. In other words, we never say anything that would cause the name of our brother to be looked down upon; we are to promote his honor. Does that mean just if we agree with what he says or does. No, the way we win him from his wrong attitude is exactly the way the Lord Jesus comes to us. He melts down our rebellion and hardness. How? He "...forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction." Our blessed Saviour comes with the healing balm of His blood that is put in every wound to heal our diseases.

The Lord Jesus says, "Bless them which persecute you," that is personal! That law of love is so full, so logical, and so absolute when we start seeing what Christ has done for us. If we fully understand what Christ has paid and what He has forgiven us, we cannot see the debt of others to us, then nobody has ever done any wrong to you because their debt to you is such a trifle by comparison.

The unjust steward was forgiven a large debt, then turned around and wanted to put his neighbour in jail for a small debt. That is not an example of the law of love; that tells us if you understand what Christ has forgiven you, then you will never have a debt left with anybody. Nobody has done you a wrong, therefore, you bless and curse not. That is so personal.

We must examine our own life and how we are conducting ourselves towards our fellow man. Are we living in a contentious situation? If so, let's get rid of it. Are we cursing instead of blessing? Give the other person credit, maybe I am the one who is wrong. Maybe he has a reason; perhaps asking a question will open the way. "I don't understand this, could you explain why you hold to this or that position?"

Now you are giving that man a chance to speak without being defensive. If we have ears to hear we may find he is not as wrong as we had first thought. Recompense to no man evil for evil if he has wronged you.

One of the greatest blessings the Lord has given me through my entire life has been patient endurance. The Lord very often brought me into circumstances where I was able to help many in a time of utter need who had gone all out to destroy me.

What a precious reward to be God's instrument to help such a person in a time of dire need! "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

We are talking here about personal, practical religion, about every man and every woman and every child who will stand on the day of judgment. Judgment will begin with the house of God; how did I judge my brother? On the Judgment Day will I begin to realize my wrong attitude? Will I then come to realize that I sat in the judgment seat and said such and such. The Lord will judge me the same way I judged my brother.

MAT 7:1-5 says, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

Our judgmental spirit may say, "Well, he did this and this, and I didn't forgive him because he was wrong." Now consider this; see what Jesus taught in the perfect prayer, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," MAT 6:12. Do we dare pray for the type of forgiveness that we give on the judgment day. We must start analyzing our attitude towards our brother.

We are not to measure ourselves by what others think or do, but as our text says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."

We are not to get into the circle of critics where each has their opinion of how to go out and get that neighbour. We may not judge what is right or wrong by what others think; we must analyze what is the will of God. 2CO 10:12 says, "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."

When one starts comparing oneself with another or comparing two people to each other or comparing ourselves among ourselves, we violate the law of love. How often is this done?

While talking about someone, do you often hear: "Isn't that just like so and so?" Someone names another person and the comparison begins. That is not only slandering one person, but bringing another down to that level in the hearer's estimation. Also, it puts oneself above the others for one wouldn't talk about another person in such a demeaning way if you didn't hold yourself above them. Do you see what this is doing? The Lord wants a personal religion.

We do not count ourselves wealthy because some others are rich; we must have the wealth within our own hand. If we consider another person wealthy or well-situated, does that mean we are part of it? No, it is a personal thing.

So it is if we are to be the friend of Jesus, we need to have that as our very own personal assurance. You and I need to have the witness of the Holy Spirit in our heart to know that we are walking in ways that please the Lord.

Having been taught so much about sins and miseries, it never entered my mind that it was possible for a human being to do something that pleases the Lord. The first time the Lord came to me in PSA 112 and showed me that He was thoroughly pleased with something I had done, I found it to be more humbling before the Lord than anything I had ever experienced. Many times since the Lord has come to me with His Word to give me the confirmation that He is pleased when I do those things He tells me to do.

When we are able to take persecution, to go through temptation, and endure them cheerfully, then the greatest joy is to be able to do good to those who have tried to harm us. The Lord is very pleased with this; "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God," 1PE 2 20. That must become our personal witness.

The propitiation of Jesus Christ, i.e., His appeasing of the wrath of the Father on our behalf, cannot be claimed in a general sense. I cannot claim the Lord Jesus Christ has satisfied the wrath of God upon my sin just because it is taught in a general way. I must know it personally.

Scripture tells us how to know if it is ours personally; in 1JO 2:2-6 we learn to see how we will know if the propitiation of the Lord Jesus was in our personal behalf; "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him [do you see how personal that is? How do I know that is mine personally?], if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

What good would it do me if every person in the entire universe came under the propitiation of Christ except me?

He is the propitiation of the sins for the whole world; that excludes all self-righteousness. I can't say I believe I have salvation, and then pass judgment on others, and saying they don't. I only need to look at the debt the Lord forgave me to know I have no stone to throw at another living soul. I can see it is for the whole world. I don't become selfish.

Has that Spirit of Christ, the mind and mental disposition and attitude of Christ become mine, not only in the way of submission to the Father but in way of love to my fellow man? "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

Where do we find the assurance of our justification? We know by the fact that the Holy Spirit has worked sanctification in us; it is through sanctification that justification became personal. 2TH 2:13b says, "...because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit...."

Sanctification is the instrument whereby justification becomes ours. How do we know? If one says he loves God but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar. The love of God is perfected in those who keep His commandments. We know we are in Him because we have that Spirit of Christ and the love and mind of Christ. If we don't have that, we are none of His.

If we are His, we should be preaching with our feet more than with our mouth. Anybody who is not preaching with his feet, i.e., by his walk of life, better keep his mouth closed. There is no such thing as possessing salvation without walking according to your profession.

Our text is so plain and simple, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." It is personal. How do I know I am the friend of Christ? I know when I have the witness of the Holy Spirit in my heart that I am His friend. How does one receive that? By grace, i.e., by the Divine influence of the Holy Spirit upon the heart. It is through a humble, Godly fear and desire to know and do His will month after month, and year after year. Our prayer should be, "Lord, give me wisdom to know thy will, and grace to do thy will." We shouldn't be primarily concerned about the pardon; our utmost desire should center on being reconciled with God.

Our pardon is the effect of being reconciled with God. We cannot claim we are reconciled without doing His will. If all we are concerned about is escaping the consequences of sin, we have a selfish religion. Our prayer and heart's desire should be to know and do the Lord's will.

When Paul saw the light his first prayer was, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" ACT 9:6. Our prayer must constantly be for wisdom to know, and grace to do His will. We must constantly pray for the grace to show love and walk according to that which is for God's honor and glory. That is where our prayer should be.

Our text does not need to be interpreted; it needs to be obeyed, not just talked about, lip service is no more than hypocrisy. We need to walk according to His will. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," JOH 15:14.

Religion is much like charity. An illustration comes to mind that I would like to share with you. Person A sees that person B is very bad off so he immediately writes to C to let him know he should help B.

Religion is much like that illustration of some people's version of charity. A sees a Christian duty to B that is being neglected. C is notified with all speed by A that it is wrong to allow this to remain undone. Why didn't A do it?

However, the clear teaching of Jesus in our text is that A sees that B needs help, and therefore, immediately reaches out to give it to him. Nothing needs to be said; no one needs to know what he did for B.

One simply fills the needs as he is able to do. When he sees a duty and does it himself without any fanfare to gain the attention of others, he is following the precepts taught by Jesus. This must become our automatic reaction to the needs of others.

After your walk of life corresponds to God's will, you may speak to A privately according to MAT 18:15-20, and not until then. You may share with him that you believe it would be pleasing to the Lord if he picked up this duty in his life. He can already see the effects of doing it in your life. That is the way our text is to be understood.

The commands in the law of the gospel are personal. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." We are not talking about group privileges or group commands. It is not a case of "my church believes this, and because we all do it, therefore I will do it." No! I must obey the Lord, even if I am the only one that does it.

The command is to love your brother; so do it! Follow the clear guidelines in Scripture in doing it. GAL 5:13-16 teaches, "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Christian liberty is to be delivered from the power of sin! It is to be delivered from the condemnation of sin, but that does not set us free to vaunt over our brother but it gives us the grace to serve our brother.

When the Lord Jesus tells me to do whatsoever He commands me, the entire law is fulfilled in loving my neighbour as myself. We must realize how important this is to our salvation. It is not only to please the Lord, but our very salvation depends upon it.

1JO 4:20 says, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" That is how important it is. Loving our brother is the very evidence that justification is conferred on us.

1JO 4:8 says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." It is that important. We must walk in the mental disposition or mindset of Christ so we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

We want evidence that we are the friends of Jesus; if we are not His friend, we are His enemy. If we are not His friend, we have no salvation. For those whose walk of life does not correspond with their profession, Scripture says in PHI 3:18-19, "(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ [Why? Their walk of life testifies that they are the enemies of Christ! They are not doing what Jesus commands them]: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)"

Their walk of life reveals their attitude towards their brothers. The Lord Jesus says we will know them by their fruit. Our walk of life is the evidence we have been redeemed from all iniquity. TIT 2:14 says, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

When we have been redeemed from all iniquity, we begin walking in the footsteps of Jesus. Therein lays salvation.

The Apostle Peter speaks to our attitude toward Godliness in 1PE 4:1-3, "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries."

When the Lord has worked salvation in us and brought us through the furnace, it is for a cleansing effect. It removes the dross, the sinful nature, and the rebellion so we might not live to the old man of sin, but to the will of God.

Our attitude and walk of life is cleaned up. Our attitude toward God and our neighbour is cleaned up through suffering.

Consider the powerful message in Verse 3; the past of our lives with the sins mentioned should be the greatest abomination of our life; we should have no more desire for this sin. David said in PSA 25:7, "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD."

In my experience, the older I get, the more I think back on things I did in my youth that I thought had no harm in them, and today those things make me blush.

This is the focus of the verses we read. Concerning things past, we are to "Knock it off." Don't serve those sins any more. The will of the Gentiles, i.e., the will of the flesh, are those sins which we have committed; we have walked in those sins in the past.

When we learn to see the idolatries that we have had in our heart, we see that we have made up idols of this thing and of that thing. Let it suffice; don't allow your heart ever again to be set on such. We cannot allow things in this life to come between our God and us. It is such an abomination.

The clear command is "...do whatsoever I command you." It doesn't mean that we will do it in perfection, but it does mean that our heart is there. Our heart's desire and our prayers from morning to night are: "Lord, what is Thy will? What will Thou have me do?"

We do not get into a business transaction where we must keep our religion separate from our business. If we do we are either in the wrong business, or we have the wrong religion.

Our religion must be part of our business; we must be able to lay our business transaction open and naked before the Lord. Then we can ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance in doing our business. If we are not able to pray about and ask for the Lord's help in our business decisions, then don't do them.

"Do whatsoever I command you" gets personal. Let me show you an example. If you are a housewife, a minister, or a farmer you perform the duties of your station in life.

We must see the circumstances in which the Lord places us; whatsoever my "...hand findeth to do, [I must] do it with [my] might," ECC 9:10, in the circumstances wherein the Lord has placed me. That doesn't mean making myself busy about the next person's duties or whether or not he is in his right calling. What is my calling? That is my concern. Am I doing what the Lord would have me doing?

The apostle asked Jesus about another man, and Jesus' reply tells us we are not to be busy about the affairs of others. In JOH 21:21-22 we read, "Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me."

We must not be so busy about the next man's calling, our concern must be, "what is my calling?" Its personal, am I doing what the Lord would have me to do?

Many religious people are better talkers than servants. Many people talk as if they are great Christians, but their walk of life reveals the truth. Do their walk and talk harmonize? If not, he does not realize he could preach much better with his lips if he did more preaching with his attitude and actions.

It is so easy to talk about being a Christian; it is much more difficult to set an example. If a person is dishonest, where did he learn it? Was it my example? Am I so honest that I can point at another person? We have to be so careful to not judge our neighbour. My walk of life should be that which convicts him, not my criticism.

These lessons taught at home by our example are by far the best sermons. If there was less talking and more walking in the fear of the Lord, we would be much better witnesses for the cause of Christ. Such sermons are often preached by heaping coals of love upon one's head. They are preached by doing less talking and more walking in God's ordained way.

Christ's ministry of example is what made His spoken ministry so powerful! His clear command in MAT 16:24 is, "...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

As we consider the expression of Jesus, "...do whatsoever I command you," we must remember that God will bring each one of His friends to where they are called upon to put their all on the altar.

Many Scriptures teach this principle. If we are one of Jesus' friends, you and I are going to come to realize our all will be on the altar. Each person will be called on to do so in the circumstances of life in the way of God's providence. It is not for me or any person to say, "This is what I had to do, so you do it, too."

Think of Abraham when the Lord said, "...Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of," GEN 22:2.

The rich young ruler had to put his wealth on the altar. Jesus said "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." MAT 19:21.

These are examples of having to put on the altar that which is near and dear to the individual's heart. The Lord will call upon each of His friends to offer up that which is closest and uppermost in his heart and to place it upon the altar. So it will be for us. Abraham was making an idol of Isaac, and the rich, young ruler had to put his wealth on the altar.

This command was practiced in the apostolic times. ACT 2:45 says, "And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."

ACT 4:34 says, "Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold." What the Lord Jesus told the rich young ruler to do became common practice in the apostolic church. This is a clear command to all Christ's church to distribute to the poor.

We see it also in 1TI 6:17-19. "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."

The command to put one's all on the altar comes in all kinds of circumstances. Analyze with me what happened to Joseph. The trial of Joseph's faith to put his all on the altar came from another corner to "...do whatsoever I command you."

GEN 39:7-9 says, "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

Do you see how old Satan caught Joseph from a new angle? Now we know the history. In order to obey the commandment of God, he had to be willing to give up his station in life where he was the ruler of the household and go to prison. Why? Because he feared God! He had a holy reverence for God's will.

Joseph's restraint was revealed in the question he asked, "...how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Sometimes we must make a great personal sacrifice to obey the clear command of God. It might be in our business that we could do something which would bring us great gain for a while? Are we able to sacrifice that because it would not be in God's favor?

As we journey through this wilderness the trial of our faith will be whether or not ye will obey and "...do whatsoever I command you." That is the trial of faith that is referred to in Scripture.

DEU 8:2-3 says, "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart [Now I want you to see the trial of their faith!], whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. [There is the trial of faith which is taught throughout Scripture.] And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

Here we see a trial of faith that was designed to humble and prove the people. Any person who claims he is going through a great trial of faith without any connection to obedience to Christ's commandment of love, totally misunderstands the clear teaching of Scripture.

Faith is that vehicle whereby we put into exercise the do of the law of the gospel. The obedience of faith is the shifting lever to shift the word do into gear. JAM 2:26 says, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

The obedience of faith is the very conduit or instrument whereby we demonstrate that we are justified before God. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" JAM 2:21.

The Lord humbles those whom He loves "...that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

It is the Word of God which must become our authority. The trials of Abraham ended as "the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me," GEN 22:11-12. Abraham proved his faith by obeying.

These are the trials of faith which the Apostle Peter spoke of when he said in 1PE 1:7, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." The trial of faith Abraham went through and his obedience was much more precious than gold.

The Psalmist praises his God for the trials of his faith in PSA 66:8-12. "O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place."

After we have lived through the trial of faith, He will bring us out into that wealthy place. Now we have peace with God. It is through those furnaces that our rebellion is broken, and our hearts are made to melt into sweet submission before the Lord. ISA 48:10 says, "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." These trials of faith are trials of obedience.

It is when all the dross has been removed that our lovely Lord can look down into that fining pot and see His own image in the molten metal. The molten metal is our melted heart, which is now a heart of submission to the will of God. Our heart is reconciled to His will. "The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts," PRO 17:3.

Our text says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Amen.