A False Spirit (Jean Claude Souillot)

"One thing which has struck me over the past couple of years is how Jesus was patient & generous with people he met. We can think of the woman at the well and the disciples. But the greatest example in my mind is Nicodemus. Here is a guy who belongs to the wrong party, and even a leader, he comes at the wrong time in the wrong manner and asks the wrong questions. Yet, Christ devotes him nearly a chapter, and the best known verse in the whole Bible is said to him. And think of the clear picture he is given of the cross as the serpent in the wilderness ! And Nicodemus took a long time to side fully with Christ. Yet Christ is patient and gracious. This to my mind contrasts so much with many who claim to follow him, even in 'free grace' circles and who have no patience nor generosity. May God protect us and take us away from such spirit."

I Cor 11:30, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep”.

You, it may be, are not aware of it, but look upon other causes why so many amongst you are sick, and weak, and die immaturely; but I, as the apostle of Jesus Christ, (and so know the mind and will of God), assure you, that this your irreverent and irreligious profanation of this holy ordinance, is one great cause of so many among you being sick, and weak, and dying in unripe age. Some think that the word sleep argues that they were godly, penitent Christians that so died, (for the death of wicked men is hardly called sleeping any where in holy writ), to let us know, that even good people, who yet may be saved, may bring judgments in this life upon themselves, as by the profanation of God’s name in other ordinances, so more especially by their profanation of it in this ordinance of the supper.

M. Poole