John the forerunner said of Jesus, "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather the wheat into the garner, but he will burn the chaff with fire unquenchable." Before he fulfilled the law and took it out of the way on the cross, he purged out from that law, every addition by the tradition of men, every practice based on the opinion or judgment of men. Christ Jesus would observe none of these. He was jealous of his Father's law, and every addition to it was cast out as chaff into the fire unquenchable. Not a single practice based on the opinion or commandment of man did he tolerate. "Ye have made the commandment of God of none effect, by your traditions." This is the invariable result of admitting traditions or opinions of men into the service of God.

      1st Cor. iii: 10, "I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest * * * the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

      Evidently that ordained by God is gold, silver, precious stone, that will stand the test. That represented by wood, hay, stubble, all which must be burned up are the traditions, opinions and additions of men. It is the same chaff that Christ purged from his floor, to be burned with fire unquenchable. Then Paul adds, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy." [44]

      To defile the temple of God, is to bring into it things not approved and sanctified by God, as Nadab and Abihu brought the strange fire into the earthly temple and were destroyed by that fire. Just so; whosoever brings into the church of God, or performs any service not ordained, and so not consecrated by God, will be destroyed by that unconsecrated, unordained service. Man brings it in to help him, it destroys him.

      Referring to the temple service, the letter to the Hebrews, chapter ix: 21, says: "Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry, and almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission. It is therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, * * * but now once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

      This certainly means that as no vessel could be used in the ministry of the earthly sanctuary unless sealed with the typical blood, so no institutions or acts of service can be brought into the service in the spiritual temple, unless sealed with the blood of Christ. But only that which is ordained by God and commanded in the word, consecrated by that blood, is sealed by the blood of Christ. All service in his kingdom not ordained by him, all organizations not builded by him, not commanded in his word, are without the seals of his blood, are unsanctified and defile the temple of God.

      The letter to the Hebrews x: 28, further declares, "He who despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite to the Spirit of grace." [45]

      To despise Moses' law was to turn from the law given by Moses and sealed by the typical blood, to service not so given. He who turns from the appointments given by the Son of God, sealed by his blood, revealed and confirmed by the Spirit of God, or places upon equality with them as service to God the acts and institutions of man's wisdom, tramples under foot the authority of Jesus Christ, and makes it nothing. For if man's wisdom can guide into the service of God, it is as good as the wisdom of God. So to make services based on the opinions of man, not sealed by the blood of Christ, a part of the worship of God, is to place them upon equality with the blood-sealed appointments of Jesus Christ and the wisdom and authority of man on equality with the wisdom and authority of God. To do this is to count the blood of Christ which seals the covenant, unholy--that is, without sanctifying efficacy. If service in the ways based on man's opinions, unsealed by the blood of Christ, is acceptable to God, it is equal to that service rendered through the blood-sealed appointments, hence the blood is of no avail, it is unholy, and does not consecrate or sanctify the service sealed by it.

      To serve God in ways based on the opinions of man, is to turn from the Spirit, is to refuse to be led by the Spirit, and is to place his teachings on a level with the teachings of God. Hence the seal of the blood and the teachings of the Spirit are of no value. To introduce or observe a service based on the opinions or wisdom of man, is to trample under foot the Son of God, despise his authority, count the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and do "despite unto the Spirit of Grace." Those who thus treat the law of him who speaks from heaven, will receive a punishment much sorer than those who rejected the law of Moses.

      As an example, the Spirit of God said, "Christians [46] must speak to themselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord." Here is Divine requirement for singing. This comes to us as the direction of the Spirit sealed with the blood of Christ. Man's opinion introduces an organ. When an organ is introduced into the worship it is placed on equality with the singing. It is really placed above it, and over-rides and supersedes it. But say it is there as a part of the service of God. It stands on equality with the appointments of God. The authority of the Spirit and the blood of Christ go for nothing--they are not needed to render the service acceptable, since the organ without the authority of God and the blood of Christ, is acceptable. If any service not authorized by the word of God, not sealed by the blood of Christ, is acceptable to God--then that authority and blood are not needed to render any service acceptable, and to introduce those not authorized and sealed is to declare the sanction of the Spirit and the seal of the blood are not needed--not holy--do not sanctify.

      It is equally true of institutions in which we serve God. The churches of Christ, local and distinct, are ordained by God--sealed by the blood of Jesus, and given us by the Spirit of God, for the purpose of saving and elevating men and honoring God. To accept these and work in them, is to honor their author and to show an appreciation of the blood that seals them, and it is to follow the Spirit of God. To organize other institutions upon the opinion or judgment of man, through which to work, is to declare man's judgment equal to the wisdom of God, it is to declare the sanctifying power of the blood, not needed, or it is to ignore that there is sanctifying power in the blood and to set at naught the teachings of the Spirit. This is to trample under foot the Son of God, to count the blood of the covenant unholy--without sanctifying power, and thus [47] to set at naught or do despite to the Spirit of Grace. This is true of all service based on the authority of man's opinions or judgment.

      The pastor distinct from the eldership, is added as a matter of opinion. This opinion of man becomes equivalent to or above the order of God, which ordains the elders as the teachers. The pastorate becomes more important than the eldership. It degrades the authority that ordains the eldership for the church. Again, the Lord ordained that his church should be carried forward by free gifts, honestly gained, cheerfully given by his children. This has the sanction of the Spirit, and is sealed by the blood of Christ. Men on their opinions hold festivals, fairs and frolics, to entice men, for fleshly gratification, to give their money, and this is brought into the temple of God, on an equal footing with that contributed according to the direction of God. This is to trample under foot the Lord Jesus Christ, to count the blood of the covenant unholy, of no value, and it is to do despite to the Spirit of Grace.

      These things are properly defined "fads, fancies, preferences, based on opinion and nothing but opinion." To introduce them into the worship or church of God, is to make man's opinion a basis and rule of action for the church, and a fad or fancy or human opinion, equal to a blood-sealed ordinance of God. This is to place man's opinion on an equality with the word of God. This is to degrade the authority of God, to trample under foot the Lord Jesus and his authority, to count the blood of the covenant unholy, of no value, and to reject the teachings of the Holy Spirit.

      To introduce them must be matter of opinion. It is to exalt human opinion as equal to Divine wisdom. To oppose them earnestly and persistently, is a matter of faith. It is an obligation that faith imperatively lays upon every [48] one who loves and honors the Lord Jesus Christ, and that would seek to follow the guidance of the Spirit of God, to oppose without compromise or yielding, the introduction into the order or service of God, the slightest change based on human opinions. This is a matter of solemn faith. To permit their introduction in one particular, seemingly unimportant, is to open the flood-gates, through which all innovations, and every "fad and fancy and preference" of every light-hearted, and ungodly man or woman that may come into the church of God, may be brought in. The result must be, sooner or later, all the Divine appointments are choked out by the weeds and briars and thistles planted by the enemy of God, and the Spirit of God will be cast out of his temple to give place to the spirit that exalts itself against God and his authority. "The commandments of God are made of none effect by the traditions of men." [49]

[CUFO 44-49]