May-Jun 2005

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Am I my Brother’s Keeper?

HOW long Cain brooded over the fact that his sacrifice had been rejected by God, while Abel’s had been accepted, how long it took for his wrong desire, his envy, to conceive and bring forth the sin of murder, we are not told — merely the fact is that this was the bitter fruit. God did not hinder the murder, and even dealt most generously with the murderer, to whose attention the matter was called by the inquiry, “Where is Abel your brother?” (Gen. 4: 9).

As the question implied ignorance on God’s part, Cain may have wondered to what extent the Almighty is omniscient, all-seeing, and his answer was in line with this — “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” This question continually recurs, not only among the members of the world, Adam’s natural family, but also among the brethren of God’s family, those consecrated or dedicated to Him, as disciples of Jesus. To what extent is one his brother’s keeper? How far does our responsibility go?

Let us look first at God’s family, our Lord Jesus’ family. Its members are declared to be bound or held one to another by the cords of love (2 Cor. 5: 14), so that, if one member suffers, all the members suffer with him, and, if one member be honored, all the members are honored. The Apostle, expatiating on the importance of the various members of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12: 12-27), declares that even the humblest ones were necessary, e.g., the eye may not say to the hand, I have no need of you. As for our natural bodies we bestow the greater honor upon some, and seek to hide the appearance of members which are least attractive and pleasing, so in the Lord’s family, those who might be considered less desirable and pleasing need more attention, sympathy, and covering with the garment of charity more than do others.

The new commandment which our Lord gave to His disciples was, “That you love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15: 12). We cannot love the world with that same deep, intense love — it is not incumbent upon us to sacrifice our own interests for the world; but the Lord does indicate that we are to have a like obligation toward all of the household of faith, as He did, and to rejoice in the privilege to lay down our lives for the brethren, serving them with our intellect, time, and energy at the cost of our own ease and comfort (1 John 3: 16).

TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP IN GOD’S FAMILY

According to the principle set forth above, a very important requirement for membership in God’s family of loyal consecrated ones is that each is to be his brother’s keeper. Each one has a responsibility for his fellow — not to be meddlesome and intrude upon him as a busybody (1 Pet. 4: 15), but to look out for his interests, his welfare (1 Cor. 10: 24), and to do all for that brother and to the same degree that we would desire if we were in his shoes and he in ours. Yes, more than this — to be willing to lay down life for him, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5: 25).

If all our Lord’s consecrated brethren could realize the importance of this Divine rule governing them, and that those who do not live up to it cannot make their calling and election sure, what an awakening of zeal among the brethren for the service one of another would result, and what a blessing would come to all of the Lord’s dear flock! Let us take heed that we be found to be possessors of the Master’s spirit toward the fellow members, and thus be accounted worthy of a share in the Kingdom.

As for the world: We are to remember that while there is a wide gulf between mankind in general, who are at enmity with God (Col. 1: 21; 1 John 5: 19), and the Lord’s people, Christ’s brethren; nevertheless, according to the flesh there is a brotherhood of mankind in general which we are not to disdain or overlook. The entire groaning creation are our brethren according to generation, and have claims upon us that the Lord would have us recognize.

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

Mankind in general are our “neighbors,” and according to even the letter of the Jewish law the neighbor must be loved as one’s self (Matt. 22: 36, 39) — his interests are to be watched over as we would guard our own interests. Hence, in the whole world of mankind, this question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” would properly be answered, Yes, each one should be on the lookout for the interests and welfare of others, as well as his own, and so doing he would be disposed not to override or misuse his neighbor, but according to the Golden Rule, to do unto others as he would have them do to him.

We cannot hope that the world, blinded by selfishness and devoting the energies of life along selfish lines and ambitious channels, will appreciate this high standard of the Divine Law. But surely all who are followers of Christ should appreciate it, and in their dealings with the world, therefore, should not only be just (1 Pet. 2: 12), but more — they should be loving, generous, and kind, unwilling to injure, and willing and ready to bless, even in the case of those who are their enemies (Matt. 5: 44; Rom. 12: 14, 19-21).

I want to feel humble, more simple, more mild, More like my blest Master, and more like a child; More trustful, more thankful, more lovely in mind, More watchful, more prayerful, more loving and kind.

Thus the Lord’s people are to be “peculiar people,” in that they unselfishly will seek to be their brothers’ keepers, looking out for the interests of others as well as for their own interests; not necessarily laying down their lives for worldly neighbors, but, nevertheless, ready to do good to all men as they have opportunity (Gal. 6: 10).

THE VOICE OF ABEL’S BLOOD

Putting the matter into figurative language, God declared to Cain that Abel’s blood cried unto Him from the ground. It was another way of telling Cain that God is omniscient, knows everything that has transpired, and hence that He knew that Cain’s brother had died at his hand. In this figurative sense all sin cries for the corrective punishment of the wrongdoer — it is the voice of Divine justice.

The Apostle Paul, referring to the death of our Lord, who similarly was murdered by His brethren, and whose blood might therefore be expected to cry out against them, and whose blood cries out against the whole world of mankind — tells us that instead of crying for vengeance, our Lord’s blood — shed as a sacrifice on our behalf, as an atonement for our sins — cries out, not for vengeance, but for mercy and peace! O, how gracious, that our dear Redeemer asked that the sin of crucifying Him be laid not to the charge of those who crucified Him and despitefully used and persecuted Him, but that in His generosity He is willing to make an application of the merit of His precious blood on behalf of all sinners, to effect their reconciliation to God by the blood of His cross (Col. 1: 20) — by His death on the cross!

The Apostle’s words are that the blood of Jesus speaks better things than the blood of Abel (Heb. 12: 24). Let us not forget that blood stands for or represents something higher than itself — that when we speak of the blood of Christ we are referring, not merely to that which coursed through His veins and arteries and which flowed from His wounded side, but also to that which the blood represents, viz., the life: as God said, “The blood is the life” (Deut. 12: 23; Gen. 9: 4; Lev. 17: 11, 14).

REDEMPTION BY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD

Hence, whenever the shedding of blood is Scripturally referred to, the giving up of life, i.e., death, is the main thought. The passage, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1: 18, 19), signifies that we are redeemed with the incorruptible life of Christ — a life which was not under penalty, not forfeited, not condemned, but approved by God — and which was yielded up as a sacrifice, a corresponding price, a ransom, for the forfeited life of Adam and the race which was in his loins when he sinned (1 Tim. 2: 6).

The curse of God was upon Cain, the murderer — Divine condemnation rested upon him. He was cut off from the communion with God which he had previously enjoyed, and according to his own language he felt his condemnation and outcast condition was too severe. The Lord declares through the Apostle that “no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3: 15). This signifies that anyone having the spirit of murder in his heart is unfit for eternal life, and could not, according to the Divine arrangement, be granted that great blessing — he himself must die, because unfit for life.

HOPE FOR CAIN

This does not mean that there will be no hope for Cain in the future; we know not to what extent he may have repented of his crime before he died. But we are sure that he, as well as all mankind, will receive not only a just recompense or punishment for sins, but also the blessings of being saved from the Adamic condemnation and of being brought to an exact knowledge of the Truth (1 Tim. 2: 4; 4: 10) — and then having an opportunity of proving worthy of everlasting life — which blessings God has provided for every member of Adam’s race through the dear Redeemer, who bought us with His precious blood, who tasted death “for every man” (Heb. 2: 9).

On the other hand, for one of the Lord’s consecrated ones, not now, but in the Age past, when spiritbegettal was in operation, to have committed murder intentionally, willfully, in the first degree, would have meant the Second Death for him (Jude 12; Rev. 21: 8), because it would have signified that the spirit of love, the spirit of God, must have entirely perished in his heart. We would have no hope for such an one (1 John 5: 16). More than this, for willful and deliberate hatred toward a brother to be engendered in the heart, as the Apostle expresses it: “Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3: 15). This would seem to mean the perishing of the spirit of love there, and if so would mean that the holy spirit had been fully quenched (1 Thes. 5: 19; Matt. 12: 31, 32), that the New Creature no longer existed — it would mean the Second Death for that person (Heb. 6: 4-6; 10: 26-31).

Looking at those of God’s people of the present, including ourselves, who do not have a part in the resurrection of the Church that is past, the chief class in salvation — but will be included in the salvation of everlasting life right here on the earth for those who gain Restitution during the Millennial reign of Christ and His Bride (Acts 3: 19-21) — the same requirements of justice relative to murder, etc., apply now and will be in use also in the next age.

However, because of the weakness of the fallen flesh, it would be very unsafe for any of us to attempt to judge others on this point. But it would be well indeed that we should be careful along these lines, as the Apostle suggests, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” (Heb. 4: 1). Let us be diligent therefore, to put out of our minds and hearts, as soon as we recognize it, any approximation of a feeling of hatred or malice against a brother in the Lord or against anyone else (1 Cor. 5: 8; Eph. 4: 31; Col. 3: 8; 1 Pet. 2: 1). Let us strive more and more that the new heart, mind, and shall control positively in our thoughts and intentions, and so far as possible in our outward deportment.