We are living in days of mounting financial problems, and it is easy to let our minds become cluttered with the mundane things of life. This is revealed by the fact that more arid more of our workers, both overseas and at home, are spending time on side lines. Some have fallen into the snare of spending so much of their time in building and renting houses, or in selling medicines or cars, or engaging in some other side line that their work for the Lord seems to have become secondary. Here again is the area of the law of the unenforceable. One man plays the organ for some church on Sunday for thirty dollars and we call it a side line. Some other worker may be spending many hours converting his basement into an apartment in order to subsidize his salary. He may argue that he just puts in the same amount of time that some other worker spends in gardening. The gardener says he only spends as much time in the garden as the picture-taking fan spends on his hobby. He, in turn, hardly having time to visit the churches for capturing the sights of a new place, says, "Oh, I do not spend time playing volleyball or other games, as some others do, so this is my recreation." On and on we go, with no way of making a policy, or law, that will cover the situation. This again is the realm of the law of the unenforceable.
Here we need to examine our fidelity to see if we are really producing at the output the equivalent of the input. Should we not re-examine ourselves? The Scripture admonishes us, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." Perhaps I would do no injustice to the text if I read it "put ye in the Lord Jesus Christ." He is at the input side of our electronic machine—arid the world is looking, the church is looking, in fact, everyone is looking to see if we will also put out Christ. When He is properly put in, I'm confident that the output signal will be accurately reproduced.
Stereophonic Tones
For the most part, those of us at this Autumn Council are executives of one kind or another—leaders in God's great cause of giving the message to all mankind. How is your fidelity, my brother? As I have been examining mine before God, I find that it is a long way from the stereophonic tones I would like to reproduce. It is possible for us at times to lose sight of the true objectives. We get so busy developing a magnetic executive personality —so busy winning friends and influencing people—that Satan succeeds in making inroads into our veracity and integrity. It is disconcerting to find an executive highly recommending a worker whose services he seems very willing to sacrifice. Indeed, in some circles it has become so flagrant that certain committees almost refuse to take a man if he is recommended. Here, again, is the area of the law of the unenforceable. I am not saying that we ought to make laws or policies to control such things, for that is impossible. I do not like to see too many laws or regulations of policies made anywhere, for every addition to the area of positive law leads to a contraction in the area of obedience to the conscience, or to the law of the unenforceable. Positive laws cannot control the human spirit. When a law or policy, or rule or regulation, takes over it is invariably followed by a sense of release from individual responsibility for anything beyond the control of strict legal limits. The tendency then is to meet strict minimum requirements.
Some workers are not bound by office hours and will work long hours of overtime because there is work for which they feel responsible. There are others who go strictly by the clock. Two minutes before quitting time their hats and coats are stacked on the desk, and as soon as the bell rings, or the clock strikes, or the hands of their watch indicate the hour, they have flown to more pleasant pursuits. I would not want to trust my fortune to that kind of person. I would not want to trust him with my life, or even with my wife. I would want to place my destiny in the hands of one who was always obedient to the law of the unenforceable.
It is really hard to define this area, but a few words may help us to understand it a little more clearly. It includes personal responsibility; to produce the same work when people are looking as when we are alone; the same righteous life in the big city where we are unknown as when we are with our church members. Self-reliance, decency, just plain good manners, and behavior that is befitting a soldier of Christ—all are a part of this undefinable, unenforceable law. We have mentioned personal integrity, personal self-respect, and respect for others. Among ministers, and especially leaders, it involves a code of ethics. How often the incoming pastor has depreciated the work of the former pastor in order to make his work shine a little brighter. Perhaps too often the pastor minimizes the good work of the evangelist in order to cover up his lack of energy in soul winning or pastoring the flock. It perhaps could happen that a committee member, jealous of a worker proposed for promotion, could raise a question because of his own selfish ambitions. It might even happen that an executive would gather around him weak and inefficient men in order to ensure his own renomination to office at the next session.
This area also includes purity—personal and social. How tragic it is when a leader, a worker, or a member falls by the fiery dart of immorality and the trap of sexual depravity. A violation of the law of the unenforceable is always the first step that leads to disaster.
Proper Criticism
The field of proper criticism is too vast for us to do more than barely touch it here. As executives we are often called upon to deal with other workers. We must often discipline, instruct, and counsel. Let us always examine our hearts and see if we are truly unselfish and fair in our dealings with one another.
It is well to consider the following questions before yielding to the urge to criticize:
- Is the action too trivial to merit criticism?
- Is my motive truly to help the situation or to benefit the person criticized, or is it my desire merely to enhance my own ego?
- Am I prepared to present the criticism so clearly that no misunderstanding is likely to result?
- Does this criticism have a sound basis in principle, or is it only a matter of taste or policy?
- Have I considered all the side effects that will result if I voice this criticism? Will it result in hard feelings, destroyed cooperation, or discouragement?
- Am I prepared to avoid the use of uncontrolled anger and sarcasm? Can I say it in a Christlike manner—with firm but friendly persuasiveness and with sincere concern for the circumstances and feelings of the other person?
Spiritual Relationships
The whole area of the law of the unenforceable is expressed in the gracious words of the great Teacher, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Matt. 7:12)—the law of the unenforceable, the law of conscience. It may not have significance for a lone man on a desert island; he is subject only to the law of nature. What we have been discussing here sets the tone of our spiritual relationships with one another. If these relationships are not sustained in a good spiritual climate—if they are not sponsored by the Spirit of Christ in the heart—they will surely fail. In the family, the church, the school, the community, and the nation these laws must operate in order to have peace, harmony, happiness, and contentment. They must be obeyed if we are to see the outpouring of the Spirit on the church of God. If we are to develop into the kind of men and women who will finish the work, we must see this type of high fidelity in everyday Christian living. It is practical godliness.
The messenger of the Lord says: "Transformation of character is the testimony to the world of an indwelling Christ. The Spirit of God produces a new life in the soul, bringing the thoughts and desires into obedience to the will of Christ; and the inward man is renewed in the image of God."—Prophets and Kings, p. 233.
I long for that image in my life today, don't you?
Now brethren, did the Master obey this law of the unenforceable? Yes, it was obedience to the unenforceable law of love that compelled Jesus to offer Himself to pay the ransom price for you and me; to leave His home in the courts of heaven to come to this earth to live, to suffer, and to die for man.
It was obedience to the unenforceable law of compassion that compelled Him to open the eyes of the blind, to unstop the ears of the deaf, to heal the lepers, the halt, and the maimed.
It was obedience to the law of humility that led Him to love the poor, dine with sinners, and work with fishermen.
It was obedience to the law of justice and equity, that led Him to drive the money changers from the Temple, to lift the fallen woman while rebuking her accusers, to issue the scathing rebuke concerning the Pharisees—that they honored the Lord with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him.
Obedience to the unenforceable law of honesty led Him to proclaim, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12: 17).
Obedience to the unenforceable law of unselfishness made Him travel all night to preach a sermon, to cast out a devil, to raise a Lazarus, or to fulfill an engagement where His great love and tenderness were needed; to work more than eight hours a day to bring comfort to sorrowing souls and broken hearts.
It was obedience to the unenforceable law of tenderness that made Him proclaim, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:14).
And it was obedience to the unenforceable law of mercy and pardon that led Him, without complaint, to wear the crown of thorns, to endure the cruel Roman whip, to stretch His hands on the cross to receive the nails, and to cry out, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
Brethren, that is my Christ and your Christ. He is waiting to play that same symphony in stereophonic concert in our hearts today, if we will only let Him.
