42. Who Will Be Your Pallbearers?

Who Will Be Your Pallbearers?

Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death,, or of obedience unto righteousness ? Romans 6:16.

It is customary to choose the closest friends of the departed to act as pallbearers at his funeral. These friends are asked to carry the body to its last resting place, not because of their strength, but rather because they were intimately associated with the deceased in his life.

Have you ever thought, dear friend, who your pallbearers will be? No doubt in your case, too, six close associates will perform this task. But we are thinking now of pallbearers that serve men while they are still alive. There are six huskies that have often served in this way and that never seem to tire of it. They have silently carried many a soul to the grave of eternal damnation. Do they happen to be intimate friends of yours?

The first is Mr. Lust. He is such an intimate of many individuals that they spend much time and energy to be entertained by him. He usually makes his calls after dark and is very generous with his time. He has such appeal that the flesh longs for his company. He is always ready to come at a moment's notice and stay as long as desired.

The second is Mr. Worldliness. He is attractive and is always the life of the party. It seems that when he is around, it is so easy to forget about the problems of the soul. He does not believe in denying self, but advocates "eat, drink and be merry." He has a knack of making people forget about the serious side of life and somehow causes them to relax in his presence. He is so full of fun that you just can not help laughing at all his jokes.

The third is Mr. Procrastination. He seems to be such a sensible fellow. He has so much to do that there is never time for all that he intends to do. He does not ridicule religion. He even speaks in favor of it. But he is never in a hurry and always quiets your fears by saying, "Don't worry about that now, there is another day coming." He promises to do so much in the future. He assures us we can do as we please now, and then when we get old, we can get right with God. He has a great many whom he plans to help some day. His intentions are so good.

The fourth is Mr. Disobedience. He is so wise that there is not much that he does not know. He has a will of his own and is so full of suggestions. He can figure out so many different ways to do things. He seems such a logical thinker and has an answer for everything. Oftentimes he is willing to make sacrifices to the God he refuses to obey. He is a very daring fellow and has no fear. His favorite saying is, "I won't.'' He is very old, for he knew Adam and Eve, and even visited them in their first home.

The fifth is Mr. Pride. He is such a "gentleman" and elegant in his carriage. He is courteous in public and has great familiarity with the world of culture. He has done so much in life that he could write columns of what he has accomplished. His favorite words are I, me, and my. It really is remarkable how often he can use them. His knees are stiff and he finds it hard to kneel, otherwise he is in perfect health. He is much concerned about what people think of him. His feelings are easily hurt.

The sixth is Mr. Hypocrisy. He can adjust himself to any situation, an ability which has won him a host of friends everywhere. He agrees with almost everyone and tries not to offend people. He is a very broadminded chap and has friends among all classes of people. He can go to church on Sunday but his religion is broad enough to let him do anything he pleases during the week. He loves the word "yes" and often uses it twice when agreeing with people. Some have called him the "yes, yes'' man.

God's Word, however, has something to say about each member of this sextet that is not very complimentary. We will select only one statement about each one and tabulate our find:

Mr. Lust: "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof'" (Romans 13: 14) .

Mr. Worldliness: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever'' (1 John 2: 15-17) .

Mr. Procrastination: "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth'' (Proverbs 27: 1).

Mr. Disobedience: "Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience'' (Ephesians 5: 6) .

Mr. Pride: ''Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall'' (Proverbs 16: 18).

Mr. Hypocrisy: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter'' (Matthew 23: 13) .

These six huskies, however, are not the only members of their tribe. They are legion in number and are often referred to by their family name: "the works of the flesh." God's Word has a solemn warning to this entire group: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you even as I did forewarn you, that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God'' (Ga1. 5: 19-21).

Are you by any chance on good terms with any of these? lf so, you have found that they are of the clinging type. They follow you like your shadow and hound you wherever you go. They are competing for the honor of carrying you to your grave of eternal damnation.

If you long in your heart to be free from them, God offers you His one and only remedy, namely, Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, "He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives," He invites you to come to Him with your problems. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest'' (Matthew 11: 28). He assures you He can handle your case, "To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil'' (1 John 3: 8) . Simply confess your sins to Him and claim the promise. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness'' (1 John 1: 9) . Hide nothing from Him, for "he that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy'' (Proverbs 28: 13) . The Lord stands ready to clean your house of all this tribe, and to fill your heart with His Holy Spirit.

These six huskies, plus all their relatives, are not easily gotten rid of, "for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are contrary the one to the other'' (Galatians 5: 17). These former friends will become your enemies. They will be continually knocking at your heart's door seeking admittance. When you see them approaching or hear their knock, turn immediately to the Lord Jesus. Do not listen to their arguments, for they will outwit you. Remember the word, "Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5: 16). If, in a moment of weakness, one or more of this old clan gets into your heart, put them to death immediately by confessing their presence to Christ. Show no mercy. Do not hide them for a moment. God has given the orders, "Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth'' (Colossians 3. 5). Hold on to the promise, "We are more than conquerors through him that loved us'' (Romans 8: 37).