"My  little children of whom I travail in  birth  again until Christ be formed in you."  Gal. 4: 19.

     The Galatians did not need to be born again.  They  had received  the Spirit by the hearing of faith, and Jesus  had been  set  forth among them as the only  way  of  salvation. Paul was anxious in soul that they should go on to attain to the stature of men in Christ.  So he with soul burdened  for them prayed that "Christ might be formed in them."  This was evidently that they should be more like Christ in character, in mind, in heart, in affections, in all things that  should make  up  the life of those who are born again.  It  is  not salvation by works, but the  bringing forth of fruit.  Salvation  is  by grace.  "For by grace  are  ye  saved through  faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the  gift of  God:  not of works lest any man should boast."--Eph.  2: 8,9.

     While  the above is the ground of  having  condemnation set aside, and of reaching heaven, yet there is a great work before  each  one  who entertains this  hope,  and  that  is development   of  Christian  character,  that  God  may   be glorified,  and  that  the life here on  earth  may  have  a helpful  influence  in the world even as a candle set  in  a candlestick  to give light to others, and as salt which  has not  lost its savor, and so become worthless and to be  cast out. And, too, that one may not lose the "joy of salvation."  There  is  such a wonderful instruction  given  in  the twelfth  chapter of Romans on the development  of  Christian character that I have it in mind to take it up and make four lessons  of  three  verses each, beginning  with  the  ninth verse.

     Verse  9.  "Let love be without  dissimulation.   Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."  Of  course, it is to be understood that the  love  here referred to is the love that pertains to the kingdom of God.

     God is love; they who are born of God are born of love,  and this  love for God and godly things, and for others who  are born  of God, is an evidence upon which faith and  hope  may rest that we are born of God.  So, there is to be no manufacturing of this love, under consideration, in the heart, but the proper development  and use  of the love that is from above, and is heavenly in  its origin.  The love from heaven is pure, and begets confidence and fellowship.  The very first manifestation of this  love forms  a  basis  of confidence that  the  individual  giving evidence  of it is born of God, and so long as this love  is shown  in  the acts and language,  that  confidence  remains unshaken,  and brotherly love grows stronger  and  stronger. From this fact arises the exhortation to "let brotherly love continue."

     If  we fail to act true to the character of this  love, it  is  disloyalty  to  God, and has a  bad  effect  on  the reputation  of the individual, loosening his hold  upon  the confidence  of the children of God.  The exhortation in  the text is to be true to this love.  It is a love for  heavenly things,   things  which  belong  to  Christ's   kingdom--his service,  his  church, the declaration of  the  gospel,  the fellowship  of saints, a hope of heaven and delight  in  the truth.

     Sometimes,  those who have this love planted  in  their heart  profess to know nothing about it, and to still be  in love  with  the world.  This is dissimulation, and  has  the effect  of  weakening  hope in the  individual.   It  has  a contrary  effect  on  the character to  being  true  to  the implanted love.

     This love is as pure and simple as the love of a child, and  any glossing it over is dissimulation, too.  It is  not to  be exhibited in unfelt expressions of endearment.   When such  professions are heard it has a repulsive  effect,  and makes us feel that it is "put on"; and we wonder if there is any real heart feeling there on the subject of religion  and Christian fellowship.

     So, in the development of Christian character we  must, first  and  all  the time, live true to the  nature  of  the fountain  from which the stream of love flows in  simplicity and directness, neither trying to hide it nor parade it.  It is ingratitude to hide it, and robs us of a joy and blessing that is above all earthly bliss.  It is such a relief to the soul  to just confess it to those we love, that we may  feel free to drink in the comfort that this love gives us.

     It  is  a  human,  fleshly  motive,  lacking  in   deep reverence  for divine things, to profess more than  emanates from  the deep, sweet well of love in the soul, and is  like standing on holy ground in unhallowed shoes.  We should  not so much "profess" out love for divine things as to "confess" it  in  devotion  and faithful service  through  trials  and afflictions,  sunshine and shadow, on through life and  down to  death.  "Be thou faithful unto death," and  the  promise is, "I will give thee a crown of life."

     I have written this much in regard to the first  clause of our long lesson, because nothing will be right if we  are wrong  on this point.  Christian character, to approach  the Bible  standard, must be built upon the foundation of  God's love  in  the  soul, and the building must  conform  to  the foundation.  Church membership, soul fellowship,  acceptable service,  and  honorable life before men in the  world,  can only beget confidence and show forth that there is light  in the  soul, and that it originates in the love which is  shed abroad in the soul and then goes out in simple purity.

     "Abhor  that  which is evil; cleave to  that  which  is good."   Here  we have the affirmative and  negative  sides, essential  to a Christian character, which we are  to  study and  strive to follow.  The evil in the world  is  anything, the nature and effect of which is, to break down and  defeat the  ends  to be attained by Christian life.   Evil  is  not limited  to  awful  crimes  that  all  persons  with   moral sensitiveness  shudder  at  and  condemn,  but  is  such  an insidious  influence as to require close scrutiny  to  guard against  it.  The word translated "abhor" is a  very  strong word,  meaning  to be afraid of as well as  to  reject  with repugnance.   Such  are  all things of which  Satan  is  the author.   They  are  not  only  detestable  in   themselves, considered  from  the  high  viewpoint  of  true   Christian character,  but their alluring and destructive influence  on human  beings  should make them to be  feared.   A  constant watch needs to be kept lest they separate one from the good, and  so  rob him of the blessing and joy  that  a  Christian character  yields.  From this fact emphasis is  thrown upon the  exhortation to "cleave to that which is good",  and  to hold  it  so closely as to prevent the entering  in  of  any destructive  influence  that would prevent the  "forming  of Christ" in the life.

     What  is  denominated "good" is to be determined  by  a careful  study of God's word.  All traits of character  that are  approved by the divine standard are certainly  good  in the sight of God.  Also, all acts which are either commanded or  commended are to be understood as embraced in  the  good things  which  Christians  are to  cleave  to.   This  word, "cleave", is a strong term, as well as the word "abhor."  It is taken from a word that means, to be glued to.  This gives the idea of the adherence to the good is to actually be as a part of the character; not simply an approval in word, but a real soul attachment.

     In  deciding  what we are to abhor, we are  brought  to consider  what  would come between us and the  good  as  set forth  in the Bible, and to be so attached to the "good  and acceptable  will  of God" as to fear and detest  what  would separate us from it.  Whatsoever renders us lukewarm in  our devotion to God, indifferent to his service, and cold to the church  and  God's  people, is to be abhorred  for  it  will detract  from our Christian character in the  estimation  of others and rob us of the joy and strength of living close to the Master.  Verse  10.  "Be kindly affectioned one to another  with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another."   Kindness is absolutely essential to a character that is to  influence others  for good.  This is a general truth that  applies  to all  persons, and cannot be emphasized too strongly  in  the building  of Christian character, where there is  need  that nothing should break down that love which is the true  basis of Christian activity.  The moment an unkind act is seen  it begins  to break down confidence in the thought that one  is moved by the love of God.  So our affection is not to be  in word only, but in kind acts.  No one could think of a church being approved by the Master, in which all the members  were unkind to each other.  If this would be true as applied to a whole  church, then it is certainly true as applied  to  the individual.  Therefore, the apostle has written this so that it will embrace all the members, as much as to say, each  to all the others.

     Perhaps  we see fault in some of the members,  or  they may  not have treated us just as they should.  Well, we  are to be kindly affectioned to them with "brotherly love."  How should brothers in the flesh treat each other?  We all  know how  ugly it looks for brothers in one family to treat  each other  unkindly.   Brotherly  love covers  faults  with  the mantle of charity and does not parade them before others.  "Brotherly  love"  for  Christ's sake  should  be   more forgiving and considerate than in a fleshly relative.  If it be  a  general  rule to do good for evil, and  to  pray  for persecutors, how strong the rule ought to be considered,  to be  kindly  affectioned  with  brotherly  love.   We  should cultivate  a  kindly  disposition.  Let it be  seen  in  the countenance,  heard  in  the  tone  of  voice,  and  plainly expressed  in  the acts.  Think how an unkind look  or  word pierces you and be on guard to keep from giving others  pain in this manner.

     The  last  clause  of  this verse  is  but  an  obvious application  of what is taught in the first part.  A  kindly disposition and brotherly love will keep us from stepping in ahead  of a brother and taking what rightly belongs to  him, and  so preferring ourselves in honor before others.  It  is more  Christ-like to sacrifice for others than it is  to  be self-serving.  So we must not forget when striving to  build up  a Christian character, that is, having Christ formed  in us,  that  the  good rule reads, "in  honor  preferring  one another."

     Verse 11. "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving  the Lord."  It may be thought of some that one  can build up a Christian character and just live to one's  self, but none of these scriptures will bear such  interpretation. It is true that when alone, and in the silent watches of the night,  our  minds  and  hearts should  go  out  to  God  in adoration  and prayer, and if we are not thus  conscious  of the  goodness  of  God, and are  lacking  in  gratitude  and thankfulness  to  him, there is slight hope  that  we  shall exhibit  a Christian character before men; but we could  not feel  right  toward God and have no disposition  to  live  a right life toward men.

     In  this rule of life, "not slothful in  business,"  we have  an application of this principle.  We are to  show  by our  attitude  toward  the rules of  life  and  service  our appreciation of God's mercy and our respect for His word.   Of course, this does not have reference to our  worldly interests, though a slothful habit in these matters may show a  disposition  which  will  manifest  itself  in  spiritual matters.  Slothfulness is indifference to important matters, and  a habit of putting off attendance to them.  If we  feel little  importance is to be attached to the things that  the members of a church should do, and have a disposition to put off  doing  them, we are slothful.  We have all  learned  to admire  and  respect that member who is always  prompt.   If some  one  is sick, he drops his work and goes  to  see  him while he can do some good.  He does not wait until the  sick get  well and then drop in when it is convenient to say  how sorry he is that they were so afflicted.  If some one is  in need,  he  ministers to their necessity; if  in  sorrow,  he comforts them.  He is not slothful about going to his church meetings,  for he is told not to neglect that; he starts  on time  and then is wide awake to the interests of the  church when  he gets there.  He does not let the business  drag  as though  the members had no interest in it.  He does not  let the  moderator wait and wait for some one to make a  motion; he  makes  it or seconds the one that is made.   He  is  not putting  himself  forward--he  is  not  slothful.   What  is required  of us is our duty, and our duty is  our  business, and we should not be slothful about it.

     "Fervent   in   spirit."    This  is   the   cure   for slothfulness.   Not  to  have  a fervent  spirit  is  to  be lukewarm, and lukewarmness will show itself in slothfulness. An  old  expression has it that a fervent spirit is  like  a boiling  pot,  it  is full of  action.   The  last  clause-- "serving  the Lord"--explains the thing had in view  in  the other two.  We must not be slothful in serving the Lord, but we  should  be fervent in spirit in his service.   We  might turn  this thought upon ourselves and ask how we measure  up to  this standard.  Let us pray the Lord's help that we  may not be found slothful and lukewarm, for then the things said of the unprofitable servant (Matt. 25: 26), "Thou wicked and slothful servant," will not apply to us.   We   should  remember  that  a  low  estimate  on   the importance  of anything results in indifference  toward  it, and  slothfulness  in the performance of it.   The  business connected with our religion is the King's business; not just an  ordinary  king, but the business of the  great  King  of kings.   If we go about it as the slothful, it will be  true of  us as written in Proverbs.  "I went by the field of  the slothful,  and  by  the  vineyard  of  the  man  devoid   of understanding;  and lo, it was all grown over  with  thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down."  "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,  a little  folding of the hands to sleep; so shall thy  poverty come as one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man."  What  a curse  slothfulness is  to  the  church!   The indifference  of  its members all join together  to  make  a heavy load for the church.  Let  us  quicken  our steps when a  religious  duty  is before us, remembering what is said of the lukewarm  spirit. Pray God for fervency of spirit in the service of God.  Any one by looking about him, can find examples of  the fervent, whole-souled, active servants of God, and they  may also  see  the slothful, cold and indifferent.   A  moment's thought  will  decide  which is more  in  keeping  with  the instruction  given in this eleventh verse.  A little  deeper thought  will follow Jesus in his work, and Paul desired  so much that the Galatians might be more like Christ in  heart, and mind and life--have "Christ formed in them."