Let God Purge out the Root, that Your Faith Be Deepened

We find that they who come to God must first believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We have the testimony in Hebrews of those who by faith won the approval of God. They pleased His heart—for without faith it is impossible to please God. How wonderful to hear of those who had something that was sent from heaven! To have this something in their hearts, and that which is heaven-born begets the will of God on earth.

Jesus told the disciples to pray for the will of God to be done on earth as it was done in heaven. We read of Isaiah’s vision, how he saw the seraphims or burning ones—each one having six wings—with twain they covered their face (in worship), and with twain their feet, and with twain they did fly to do the will of God. They cry, “Holy, holy, holy,” and they do the will of God.

There was a time when Mary needed the angel Gabriel sent to tell her she would bring forth a Son, and His name would be called “Jesus”, for He would save His people from their sins. There was a time when Peter needed the help of the angel to smite the prison doors so that he could go free. These angels do God’s will absolutely. Though they are not human ones, they are filled with the will of God. God wants His people to be filled with His will, and His heart will never be satisfied until it comes to pass: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” If it is in our hearts, no matter what it costs, what price we must pay, may we only say, “Oh, that Thy will might be carried out…if I, a human instrument, might be used in some way for Thy glory.”

Isaiah said, “Here am I, Lord,” after he saw his uncleanness, and was purged with a coal from off the altar. He was not driven to discouragement by what he saw, but as he saw his own undone condition and the condition of those around him, he realized there was hope, and God sent the messenger of hope to him, anointing his lips with fire so that the message of God would come from purged lips. He was one who would prophesy of the Lord Jesus thousands of years before He was born: “A virgin shall conceive, etc.” It is wonderful.

God wants us to see ourselves. He wants us to look into our hearts to see what would hinder this wonderful faith from working. I am talking about what is absolutely necessary, and it is necessary to have faith, for without faith we cannot please God.
First, do we believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him? As we believe that He is, and as those who seek, believe they will find, and believe that the door will be opened when they knock, He will not give a stone, a serpent, or a scorpion. For what earthly father would do such a thing to his children? It is a necessity that we have this faith.

“What will please God?” we ask. We can very well find out, for the word of God is a lamp, and it lights our way to glory. As we think of a lamp that lights the way for children when they go upstairs, how it lights up the dark corners, but thank God, we have the lamp that lights the way to glory for us. The light was first lit in the garden of Eden: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Peter tells us we have a more sure word of prophecy: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). Peter, on the Mount of Transfiguration, beheld the glistening garments of our Lord, but later he said, “We have a far greater light; the day star has arisen….we have the more sure word of prophecy.”

Though it would be wonderful today to have the angel messenger, yet by faith we have them. We have a sure word of prophecy before us that we can look at with a yielded heart and mind, open to His will so that we can say, “I believe it because God has it written there.” He knew what He wanted us to do. He put it down in black and white that we might today realize what God is after in and through us. We find we must have this faith.

One of the first heroes mentioned is Abel. By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. It seems to us sometimes that others have more faith than we, they have some special way they can grip heaven. You think, “Oh, I am so dumb. I do not seem to be able to please the Lord as others do.” Well, if you think that way, and you let that overpower you, you will not be able to do anything.

As we see with these two men, Cain and Abel, Abel knew what would please God. It seemed to be imparted unto him, whether through his mother or father, or by prophecy, or by an angel—I do not know—but it seemed that faith was imparted unto him. He obeyed, and his sacrifice was accepted. It was an acceptable gift unto God because it was the right one.

There was not anything especially wrong with the fruit that Cain offered, but he did not like it, because God smiled upon Abel’s sacrifice, and He would not smile upon his. He thought, “I did my best. If Abel has faith and can please the Lord, then He is just fortunate.”

But God did not leave him in ignorance. He told Cain it was not well for him to be angry. God saw to it that Cain could have brought the right sacrifice and said, “Cain, there is an offering crouched at your door. All you have to do is bring it to Me. Do what the word says.”

But Cain said in effect, “No, that would be submission to my brother, and before I will do that, I will die.”

Is not that what is in the hearts of men and women today? “So-and-so can get somewhere, but it seems nothing I do will be accepted.” That is no excuse. God sees to it that we are told either from people, or by word, what is acceptable to Him. He will not leave us in darkness. But, there is so much stubbornness, selfishness, rebellion, in people and flesh, that rather than submit, they will do what Cain did.

Eventually, he rose up and slew the one who pleased God. He killed the child of faith. Cain gave the ropes over to the devil, and he was glad to get them. He had been thrown out of heaven because he did not want to submit, and the thing for him to do was attack God’s creatures and make them be what he wanted them to be. Cain would not submit. He had an opportunity to, but he would not because he felt that would prove too much that Abel was right. So he rose up, the devil took hold, and he slew his brother.

We see the same thing in Saul. Saul had jealousy in his heart. The thing was never conquered. His anger, passion, jealousy, wanting to be great, not wanting to see David get ahead, was never conquered. He never saw the need of putting it down. There came a day when he tried to crush the child of faith up against a wall, but God would not allow it. He allowed His Son to die, and Abel, Paul and many others, but David he saved from the wrath of the enemy. That is His business who He wills to deliver and who He does not, but for those who die in faith, it pays. When you see those who die that have spent their lives for self and the devil, what is there about it? Nothing!

Something is wrong that we do not have faith. If you examine the branches you might say, “I have a nice disposition, I do this or that.” But there can be plenty of worms underneath. There is many a selfish thing hidden under a violet tuft. You say, “I have some real nice traits. I am not selfish, I would give my last cent.” But if you will go to the roots, you will find the trouble is there. If we have not faith, something is wrong way down deep. You cannot see the roots, you have to dig down. Faith is the result of a healthy soul in God; the result of yieldedness. It is a natural to one whose roots are right as it is for the sun to warm the air. Faith will bring into existence that which we cannot see. His will will be done.

Why is it some have more, and some have less faith than others? It is because somewhere along the line we have failed God. God sees to it that He gives you the Word. Our text tonight is that God gave some prophets, some pastors, some evangelists, etc. What did He give them for? For the perfecting of the saints. That is why He gave them, so that we might come to the unity of the faith.

There is much so called faith going around. But when you begin to see the foundation, you will find some is imaginary, some false, some is theory, some one thing or another. The thing that will prove it is the day of adversity. You can see in Job implicit faith: “Though He slay me yet will I trust Him.” You do not find him turning back on his Lord. How does God know if we are junk or not? How does He know what we are going to do unless He tests us? Do not think it strange when a fiery trial comes to test you.

Realize it is there in your purging that God might find out if you are worthwhile. It is God’s will that you be used. It is His will that every one of our lives be lived to His glory. But it is not going to be a forced affair. Would it not be terrible if we met Paul or somebody else and we hear them say, “God forced me, beat me, and pulled me until I finally made heaven”?

No, it does not work like that. If we go, it will be because of yieldedness, love, of a willingness for Him to be glorified through our bodies. You will not meet anyone in heaven who has been forced there. Do not think God is going to force you into making a high grade if you do not want to make it. He will send tests, answer prayers of saints for you, do many things. But one day, He will part company, if you insist.

Judas followed the Lord three and one-half years. He was given power, authority, placed in charge of the money bag, but he had something eating at the vital part of his heart. It was the love of money. It was a root. He never conquered it. He kept on and on, and when the box of ointment was broken, he writhed under that. He did not want it poured out and—what he called—wasted. He bluffed off by saying it could have sold and the money given to the poor. But what he wanted was the money for his bag. He never conquered it, but let it go until at last, one day, he went out to those brutal men and told them, “I have a bargain for you today—something cheap.”

He sold his Lord for a paltry sum, nevertheless, it was money. It conquered him. He gave the reins over into the hands of the devil, and he had him for good. He had an opportunity to conquer the thing, but he allowed it to have swap, and that is all the devil wants. That is all he wants tonight. He does not care how much you do this a little bit or that, he is waiting for the reins. One day he will get them and he will drive you against your wall of pride, passion, selfishness, or whatever it is. We had better conquer the thing or things, for one day it is going to the place that is prepared for it. We would spoil heaven with it.

Jesus dealt so long with it in Judas until when he came, Jesus said, “That which you do, do quickly.” My friends, Jesus goes a long way for us. I do not know where His mercy and love stop, and where His wrath begins—it is not my business, but I have to watch myself that I do not presume upon it. You can get in the place where you can reach the end of it and say, “God is so merciful,” and you will flop some day. It is presumption.

The meanest thing of all was for Judas to kiss the Lord and say, “Hail, Master.” He got so close, he could kiss Him and yet do the most terrible thing of all betray Him.

Better to be the man who ran the sword in His side than this one who submitted His Lord for the things on the side of the devil. It is a terrible condition, but every one of us has a Judas in our breasts. We have the thing in us that will betray the Lord. He will rise up and duel the child of faith in you to death. It will ruin mine. You might play around with the word of God, but one day God says, “We must part company. What you do, do quickly.”

It cost Jesus His precious blood. Jesus was willing for God’s will, though it meant death, but He must part company with Judas. Heaven and hell will never meet. We will either be forever cast into outer darkness or with the Lord of glory in paradise. How terrible when we see these things that will drive us into our eternal doom. God is faithful. We do not need an angel to minister to us, we have the Word. You can tangle the word up if you wish. You can handle it deceitfully, but it will end in your own ruin. God help us to see it.

We see Esau’s root. God said, “See that there be no root in your life like Esau. It is a root of bitterness.” If you have a root of bitterness in you, it will not only defile you, but many others. Watch the little foxes. God wants us to see what our besetting sin is, or sins are, and fight them through, even if it takes your lifetime to do it.

I would rather die fighting it than go to the grave thinking I was something that I am not. If I think I am something, with a nice disposition, unselfish, kind, loving, etc., what about the thing that is wrong? Take that. If we did not have something wrong, we would be moving on in faith. Faith is the result of a healthy soul in God. Do not think that you can escape by going to one assembly after another. There are many who do, and they will never submit.

People do not seem to know where they belong. If they do find food in a certain assembly, they would not give the leaders the satisfaction of working in that assembly. A horse will plow for the man who will give him something to eat, but people say, “I am not going to plow there.” Cain had it in him, and he rose up and put to death the one who would submit. Abel’s blood speaks of better things. He blood brought forth.

God said He would give vengeance for that blood. Blood has a voice. The voice of blood cries, it calls, “Vengeance, vengeance.” But God answers, “It is mine, just a little while yet.”

We have the apostles, prophets, and it is possible that you might not have to give your life over to God as quickly as another. But are you saying, “I would never submit to what she says, or what he says”? God said He gave those different ones. It does not mean that they are great ones. But somehow they have submitted so that they can help someone. Why not listen to someone who is willing to help you? It is for the perfecting of the saints, until we come to the unity of the faith. “Will you be a prophet?” you ask. I do not know. That is up to God. We cannot ask God, for that is His business.

David said, “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me” (Psalm 131:1).

As I talked to the children in the Sunday School class this morning, I told them of the two queens, Esther and Vashti. They were to appear before the king, but Vashti did not obey. Maybe she thought it best not to come, but the king’s summons was to be obeyed. She did not and was cast out.

The other queen Esther said, “Though I perish, I perish.” See the difference? Both of them beautiful women, no doubt, from the outside, but only one was straight inside. Did it pay? Ah, a thousand times. It pays today and it will pay in eternity. It pays to go through.

God shows us these characters that we might see what side we fail on. The devil’s trick is to drive you to the wall, telling you, you will never be anything, but that is not the will of God. If you have sense, do not listen to what he says. He drives you to despair. Peter knew better than that. When Jesus said something about going away, Peter said, “Thou hast the words of eternal life, where will we go?”

You cannot do as you please. You will find you are not playing with a child. There is no other way, but to go through. But He wants us to be driven into Him, not against the wall of despair or discouragement or sensitiveness. We cannot go on with these things. We are babies, always crying, “Somebody said so and so.” That is baby talk, and you will end in defeat. Praise God, for the way He shows us. Thank God for someone to explain the word to us, for someone to help us have a healthy soul, that we might turn out and fit into the place where we can grow to the full stature of Christ. That is God’s plan. It is going to work out to the most minute detail. God is going to have it done.

As we look at these different characters and see how they went through, let us cast ourselves totally on God’s side. Face your besetting sin or sins, and see where your weakness lies. God will never pass you up.

If you went to the hospital, they would cut you where you needed cutting, then sew you up. But God will not cut you against your will. If you say, “Lord, there is that sore spot, but please don’t touch it,” He will let it go. If you do not let Him touch that sore spot, you will never be able to move out if you want to. The devil means business, and God does, too. But if we do not face it through, the devil will do it for us. There comes a day of parting company. Jesus deals and goes along with us, but He will say, “That thing must go, it must stop.”

May the Lord help us to see what our need is, face it, and help us, that we might be encouraged in our God. He is always encouraging, reasonable. He will say, “Come now, let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow.” He wants them brought out. He will consult with us about them, and help us to bring out the things that are hindering our going through. We have a very reasonable God. He will reason them out with us, but the main thing is to get away from sensitiveness, the defeated line, because it is bordering towards the pit.

As we see Isaiah, he was unclean, and the people around him were unclean. But when he looked up and saw how wonderfully pure the Lord was, then as fear gripped him, he cried out, and God sent something to straighten him out. I believe God will do that thing for us, if we will admit the sin and despise it. He has the remedy. He will not pass you over, but He will send the thing that will eradicate it. He will burn it out. He will send the seraphims, the burning ones, to burn out sin in our lives.

It is one thing or the other. As God helps us to search our hearts, you put in what you need. As I told the children how mean Vashti was, the children said they wanted to be like Esther. Each one admitted they were more like Vashti. One little girl said she used to be like Vashti, but she was better now. Those little children knew what I was talking about, when they said, “I don’t want to be stiff, or stubborn, or sulky, or disobedient to parents, etc.” They knew what their sins were.

As we are larger people, we know what our sins are, too. What are we going to pray for? What are we going to ask God for? To remove the selfishness, meanness, temper, etc.—just put in what your besetting sins are. You will find out as you face those things, the devil will flee. He will holler, put up a fight, and tell you you got that thing from your mother or father, that it is a family trait, but it is the devil’s trait.

Jesus does not patch up. He does not cover them over, but He casts them out. In back of the besetting sins is the devil, and he is going to the pit. As they brought Jesus the money, He said, “Give it to Caesar. It belongs to him.”

Tonight you have besetting sins. They are going to the devil, hell, so we might as well get the sins out tonight. Do not wait until you get before the judgment seat. Let them out tonight. Judge yourself, and you will not be judged. Do not say, “I am right and nice, you do not know me.” The Lord wants us to say what is wrong. He wants us to examine the roots. You cannot see them with the naked eye, they are covered over.

You can spoil the meeting, for that thing works. You might think you have him down, you have a smile, but that thing is steaming underneath, the kettle is boiling over, and you spoil the meeting. We would spoil heaven with it.

We might as well know it now, tonight, and as Brother Lowe said, we put a bow of ribbon on it, take it to church, take it home and say, “I certainly have the victory.” Look at it, see what it is. Your smile does not cover it over. You have to go deep. The Holy Spirit can put the spotlight on the trouble immediately. Face it. Then it is up to us. That will show which side we will be on. It is like a mother and father who are separated and fighting for a child. The devil is fighting for us on one side, and the Lord is on the other. It is a case of which side the child wants to go on and so with you, you cast your lot. You can get around it, but it does not get you anywhere. The devil will put a rope around your neck.

Look at Samson. He had the rope around him. He failed God, and the devil took complete charge of the rope. We see him blinded, trudging around in the darkness, blind, defeated, on the devil’s diet. God in His mercy did allow him one more victory. I want my spiritual senses exercised. He has given the remedy. If you have put the patches on, let Him rip them off.

Thank God, He is merciful, kind, longsuffering, patient, for tonight we have an opportunity to get on our knees, asking that we might face what is wrong. I want to be in the unity of the faith and come to the full measure of the stature of Christ. When we find we have not this faith, something is eating at the roots. Let us see what is cutting off our supply. Let us face it, asking God to burn it out and get us straightened out until we really come to the place of the perfect man in Christ Jesus. Amen!