If there is any preaching, it is of the Lord.  God mercifully blesses with light and liberty. It is He that gives the hearers the hearing ear. God must be in the arrangements. A pastor or a deacon may call upon an elder to preach; but a pastor or a deacon can't bless the minister with light and liberty. We must all prayerfully wait on the Lord in these matters.  Nonetheless we are called to present ourselves a living sacrifice. That is our reasonable service. Under the law service the animal sacrifice knew not that it was being brought to the day of death. No flesh willingly goes to slaughter; none but the Lamb of God.  Our mortal flesh profits nothing from the quickening of the Spirit of God.  The obedient child of God must keep his body [under subjection] and follow the drawing of the Spirit of God into the service of God. Children of God are not debtors to the flesh. If we were debtors to the flesh we would then live after the flesh.  We are told that if we live after the flesh, we shall die: but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live.  We are those that are described as dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God. The goodness of God is seen in the land of the living. Our Lord's Church is indeed the land of the living.

In one place we read of the "simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor 11:3). Much could be said about the difference between the simplicity that is in Christ and the simplicity of Christ. Nothing is more complex than Christ. All things were made by Him, and it is because of Him and by the word of His power that all things are upheld.  It is possible to be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. God's people may be beguiled through subtlety, so that their minds are corrupted. But that doesn't change the simplicity of the predestination of those that are in Christ. This gracious doctrine adorns the Lord's church.  The comfort and rest of the simplicity that is in Christ is one of the distinguishing marks of the Lord's Church. His Church is a simple and uncorrupted Church.    

In the 4th chapter of 2nd Timothy we read a charge.  Paul tells this minister to "preach the word". Paul doesn't say preach the simplicity that is in Christ.  He continues to exhort the minister to be instant in season and out of season. The word is not something that ought to be kept for only certain occasions; but rather should be openly proclaimed as the Lord gives light and liberty. But what is meant by that charge to preach to word? Is it the word grace? Grace stems from the word that Paul exhorts ministers to preach. Is the word truth? The truth is manifested because of the word that Paul exhorts preachers to preach. Is the word Salvation? Salvation is the evidence of the word that Paul says ministers ought to preach. Preach love! God is love. Preach God, and that God was in Christ reconciling the world of the elect unto himself. Love is the word of reconciliation. It is the word of the love of God that exhorts God's children to be reconciled to God. There is no love like God's love. Even though the people of God are exhorted to be reconciled to God; some will have none of that theology. Without that love there would be no ability to be reconciled. There would be no peace which passeth all understanding. There would be no rest for God's obedient children. Nor would there be Christ's Church in this world. There the word is preached.11/10/2004 Marty Hoogasian