Chapter 3: Souljourners. If, because of the necessities of life, the one who is intimate with God must spend a small portion of time in providing sustenance, he feels cheated, for some of his attention is diverted by business, not even in his dreams does he look on anything unsuitable to a chosen man. He is a complete stranger and souljourner on this earth. He lives in the city, but he despises the things in the city which others admire. Instead, he lives in the city as though he were living in a desert.
Hebrews 11:13-16. In summary, the one who is intimate with God makes up for the fact that the apostles are no longer with us. He does this in several ways: by the uprightness of his life, by the accuracy of his knowledge, by taking care of his relatives, by helping his neighbors to remove their mountains of doubt and to put away the sins of their soul. Still, each of us is his own vineyard and laborer. Although the man of God does the things that are most excellent, he wishes to escape the notice of men.
He would rather know before the Lord and himself that he is actually living in accordance with the commandments. He prefers these things because he truly believes them to exist. For where anyone's mind is, there also is his treasure. Matthew 6:21. Through the perfection of love, the godly man impoverishes himself so he will never overlook a brother in need. This is especially so if he knows that he can bear want easier than his brother. He considers the other's pain his own grief.
If he suffers any hardship by giving out of his poverty, he doesn't complain. Rather, he increases his generosity. For he possesses a sincere faith that is worked out in everyday life. He praises the gospel both in thought and in deed. He truly wins his praise not from men but from God by doing what the Lord has taught. Romans 2:29. Drawn by his own hope, he doesn't taste the good things of this world. Instead, he has a noble contempt for all things here.
He pities those who are chastised after death, who unwillingly confess Christ as a result of punishment. In contrast, he has a clear conscience as to his departure from this life, and he is always ready for it. He is a stranger and pilgrim regarding earthly possessions. 1 Peter 1:17. He's mindful only of those things that are his own, but he regards all earthly things as not his own. The godly man not only delights in the Lord's commandments, but he partakes of the divine will through intimacy.
Because of his righteous life, he is truly a select, intimate friend of the Lord and of the Lord's commands. As one who is intimate with God, he is both princely and kingly. He disdains all the gold on the earth and under the earth, and he disdains rulership from ocean shore to ocean shore. He disdains these things so he can cling to the Lord's service. So in eating, drinking, marriage if the Lord commands, and even his dreams, he does and thinks what is holy.
As a result, the one who is intimate with God is always pure for prayer. He prays in the society of angels, for in a sense he is already of angelic rank, and he is never out of the holy keeping of the angels. Even though he prays by himself, he has the choir of the holy ones standing with him. He recognizes that there are two elements in faith. First, there is the activity of the one who believes. Secondly, there is the excellence and worth of the thing believed in.
And there are two kinds of righteousness, one resulting from love and one resulting from fear. For that reason, it is said, "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever and ever." Psalms 19:9. Yet even those who turn to faith and righteousness because of fear rather than love will still remain forever. But fear only leads a person to refrain from what is evil. Love, however, leads to the spontaneous doing of good. As a result of love, a person can hear the Lord's words.
"I call you no longer servants, but friends." John 15:15. Such a person can apply himself confidently to prayer. In his prayers, he gives thanks for the past and the present. He also gives thanks for the future, for to him, through faith, the future is already present. He asks to live his present life as one who is intimate with God. He asks for a life free from the flesh. He asks to attain the best things and to flee from the worst.
He not only asks forgiveness for his sins, but he also asks for help to repent and acknowledge his sins. On his departure from this life, he comes quickly to the one who called him. He's eager to give thanks because of his good conscience. Once he is with Christ, he shows that he's worthy, through his purity, to receive the power of God that is administered through Christ. He receives his power through a process of blending into Christ.
He doesn't wish to be warm by merely receiving heat, neither does he wish to glow by merely reflecting the light of the flame. No, he wants to actually be light. He properly understands the statement, "Unless you hate father and mother and your own life, and unless you bear the sign, you cannot be my disciples." Luke 14:26-27. He despises the excessive sentiments of the flesh, for these sentiments contain the powerful spell of pleasure.
He has a noble disdain for all things pertaining to the proliferation and sustenance of the flesh. He also resists the fleshly element in the soul, putting a bridle bit on the deviant spirit. For the flesh lusts against the spirit. Galatians 5:17. To bear the sign of the cross is to carry death with you by saying farewell to the things of the flesh while still alive. Having made a habit of doing good, he exercises generosity as a natural response, quicker than speaking.
He prays that he may help carry the burden of his brother's sins, for he wants to help his brother to the point of confession and repentance. He's also eager to share his own good things with those dearest to him. Nurturing the seeds planted in him in accord with the management of the Lord, he continues free of sin. He develops self-control, and he lives in spirit with those who are like him. He is among the choirs of the angels, although he is still detained on earth.
All day and night, the godly man speaks and does the Lord's commands. He rejoices heartily when he wakes up each morning. Not only that, he rejoices at noon, when walking, when in bed, and when dressing and undressing. If he has a son, he teaches him. He is inseparable from the commandments of God and from the blessed hope. He is always giving thanks to God like the living creatures Isaiah mentioned. Isaiah 6:6. He is submissive in every trial, saying, "The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away." Job 1:21.
For Job was that way. After his possessions and health were destroyed, he relinquished everything to the Lord through love. So Job was one who knew God intimately. It is written that Job was just, holy, and separated from all wickedness. Job 1:1. The word holy sums up all duties toward God and the entire course of life we are to follow. We must not cling too much to earthly things, even if they are good, for they are of the body, and we give the things that are good to those who need them.