The Gospel Mirror

"BUT be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own

selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man

beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his

way, andstraightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into

the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful

hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James

1:22-25.)

Man is interested in mirrors. Man always has been interested in mirrors.

No doubt the savage is interested in his reflection in the water when he drinks

from the crystal stream. We are living in an age of mirrors. We have all kinds

of mirrors for all kinds of purposes. Man was not satisfied with mirrors that

show the outside of the body, but we have that mysterious X-ray that explores

the insides.

But no mirror made by man will show the soul. God gave us the gospel

mirror for this purpose. In the quotation given above this mirror for the soul

is called "the perfect law of liberty." Nothing made by man is perfect.

Everything made by God is perfect. The mirror for the soul is perfect. "That

the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2

Tim. 3:17.) ''According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that

pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called

us to glory and virtue. (2 Pet. 1:3.)

This divine mirror shows the origin of the soul. It is the only source from

which we get this desired information. "And the Lord God formed man of the

dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man

became a living soul.'' (Gen. 2:7.) This is the only satisfactory explanation of

the origin of the species.

Not only does the gospel mirror furnish us with information relative to the

origin of the soul, but it shows the ills of the soul. A mirror shows the dirt on

the body. The gospel mirror shows the "dirt" on the soul. This may be one

reason why so many do not use it. Mirrors help us to see ourselves as otherssee us. The divine mirror helps us to see ourselves as God sees us.

The drunkard looks into God's mirror and sees this: ''Know ye not that the

unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither

fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of

themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor

revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 6:9, 10.)

A lot of church members ought to get this part of God's mirror where they

could get a square look at themselves! I have been told that there are a few

preachers who need to take a squint at this. God says that folks who are guilty

of the above shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This I believe and teach.

When we look into a mirror and see dirt on our face, we turn from the mirror

and wash the dirt off; when we see dirt on our souls, we had better get rid of

it before it is eternally too late.

The gospel mirror tells of the origin of the soul and the ills of the soul,

and it also tells us of the destiny of our souls. Jesus spoke so often of heaven

and hell. To one of these places we are going. Listen: "Then shall he say also

unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,

prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matt. 25:46.) Listen again: "And these

shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

(Matt. 25:46.) Remember, these are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How should we use God's mirror? How do we use other mirrors? Do we

not use them frequently and regularly? Do we not use them daily? Is it not a

fact that we look into them about the first thing of a morning and the last thing

of a night and many times between? Can we afford to look into the gospel

mirror just once a week for a few minutes? God spoke about the Bereans being

more noble than those of Thessalonica. Where did this nobility lie? "They

received the word with all readinessof mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

(Acts 17:11.) "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the

ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the

scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he

meditate day and night." (Ps. 1:1, 2. ) Do you, my friend, delight in the law of

the Lord? Do you meditate upon it day and night?

We should become skilled in the use of God's mirror. This takes careful,

diligent study. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that

needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15.)

Every member of the church ought to know how to use the word skillfully.

We ought to be ashamed if we are not able to do this. Unless we study daily,

diligently, and systematically we will not know how to handle the divine

mirror aright.

We should study obediently—that is, we should approach the study of

God's word with an honest desire to know his will concerning us. We should

have the mind that characterized the good man, Cornelius. After he had been

instructed to send for Peter, who would tell him what he ought to do, and

Peter had arrived, Cornelius said: "Now therefore are we all here present

before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee or. God." (Acts

10:33.) A man like that is bound to learn the will of the Lord. He wanted to

hear all things that were commanded of God. The doctrines and

commandments of men will damn our souls for time and eternity if believed

and obeyed. "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the

commandments of men." (Matt. 15:9.) "And if the blind lead the blind, both

shall fall into the ditch." (Matt. 15:14.) The doctrine of Christ believed and

obeyed will save our souls for time and eternity. "For I am not ashamed of the

gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that

believeth." (Rom. 1:16.)