0387. First, Be Reconciled to Thy Brother

First, Be Reconciled to Thy Brother

"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift, before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Mat_5:23).

Here is another FIRST THING which is, primarily, for Christians. The keynote is, before you try to approach God in worship, or in service, or with a gift, you must get right with your brother.

In the prayer the Lord taught the disciples is the expression: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Finally the words are added: "For if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses."

He who seeks to approach unto God must certainly come with clean hands. We are not speaking of salvation; we are speaking of the conditions of fellowship and of worship and of service toward God.

Of course, when a sinner seeks salvation, he must turn from his sin. It is from his sin, that Christ is saving him. However turning from his sin does not save him; he is saved by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

When, however, a saved soul is approaching God in worship, and is bringing his gift, he must be right with his brother or he will not be acceptable unto God.

In Mat_18:24-30 we read the story of a man who owed his Lord ten thousand talents. According to Roman calculation this would have been, in silver, about two million pounds sterling. According to Jewish calculation it would have been about four million pounds; but in gold about seventy million. So, whether you weigh these talents out in silver or in gold, he owed an enormous sum.

The debtor pled with his lord saying "Have patience with me and I will pay thee all." Then his lord forgave him the debt.

This same servant, so graciously forgiven, found a fellow-servant, who owed him a hundred pence (something like fifteen dollars of our money). "And he laid his hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying: Pay me what thou owest, and he cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt."

It is rather small business for any to ask God’s forgiveness, if they themselves will not forgive. How can we, if we are wilfully dishonoring God in being unreconciled with a brother, seek to be reconciled to God?

Illustration: Mr. Jennings owned a hotel. He rented this hotel and allowed the renter to sub-rent a corner room for a saloon. For more than a year Mr. Jennings pocketed the money from this saloon and went to church. He may have acted pious, but he didn’t feel that way. There was a stone wall between him and God; he couldn’t pray, and he was miserable.

Finally, Mr. Jennings sold the hotel to satisfy his conscience; but his fellowship with God was not restored. He was still holding on to one hundred forty-five dollars and ten cents, the rent money from the saloon. At last he wrote out a check in full for the rent and placed it in my hands for use in trying to undo the work the saloon had done.

In his letter to me he said: "Last night, at two o’clock, I signed the enclosed check. For months, darkness had been over me, but how the joy flooded my soul, when I had righted, as far as could be righted, the wrong that had crept into my life."

When he had finished his letter he wrote a postscript and said, "After this I am going to keep a mat at the door of my heart life, and whatever comes in, must first clean its feet." If we expect to approach God we must be right with our brother.

Illustration: In an inquiry room, a young man told me that he led the singing in the Methodist Church, and that he was considered a happy Christian. "But," said he, "I am miserable and I cannot pray." Immediately we suggested that there must be some sin in his life. He broke down at once and told us that he was the trusted employee of a man who was, at that moment in the auditorium of the church. He said, "For months I have been filching money from his till, and my peace is gone,–I cannot pray."

I asked him to let me bring his employer into the room. He was willing. The employer entered. The young man made his confession. Then we knelt to pray. How quickly the young fellow got through to God!

When we approach God, if we want to reach the throne, we must first be right with our brother. God will neither accept the worship, nor the gift of one whose life is crooked.

This theme has its application for both saint and sinner.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR