Let us go to Proverbs and read 6:6-11, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, 8 Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep- 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.” This is an excellent passage for our application to be good workers in life to provide for earthly needs but we can also gain the application for spiritual activity in so-called “church work,” with perhaps a special view to the work of converting the lost of this world or simply standing for the truth.

Let us go back to ants for a moment. How many of us as children spent hours lying in the grass watching and completely fascinated by the activity of ants. There is always a lot going on close to an anthill. Ants are very tiny and their works seem inconsequential, especially to young children. However, as small as ants are they accomplish a tremendous amount.

According to NOVA’s (PBS-TV), Edward O. Wilson, PhD. in Entomology, the combined weight of all ants in the world is about equal to that of all the humans on the earth! That means that for every one of us, there are millions of them. Mostly unappreciated by us until maybe we are stung or bitten by them, their constant hustle and bustle actually alters the environment everywhere these creature thrive. Think about this: entire ecologies are shaped by the untiring work of countless worker ants that as individuals are never named or remembered as individuals. Thanklessly, without any notice they spend their entire lives working for the hive. The result of this remarkable industry is that ants are as numerous as they are. There is no worry at all that ants will at some point go on the endangered species list. Sometimes we actually worry that Christians may be on the endangered list!

One of my favorite observances concerning ants is a time I watched a single ant carrying a bit of straw that was several times its body length and weighed perhaps twice or more than the ant itself. It struggled under this awkward and mighty load but nevertheless the little ant diligently carried on. The amazing thing was that the ant came to an insurmountable fissure in its path and so it put down the load. The ant then walked up and down the length of the impassible chasm for a second or two as if trying to reason out what it was going to do. Then seeming to figure out this daunting conundrum, the ant once again grabbed up the straw and laid it across the deep crack in the earth. Then it simply and matter-of-factly walked across this self made bridge and once across, picked up its temporary bridge and continued its journey once again bearing the mighty load!

In our passage from Proverbs, which causes us to consider the nature of ants for a moment, the Lord wants us to make some applications that really can be wide ranging for us and can also help to correct some attitudes toward others.

1. Put a smile on your face! The prime thing is “to be of good cheer” (Matthew 14:27). Have confidence that in serving the Lord Jesus we have made the right commitment of our life and efforts, Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Generally the child of God should always have at our very core the knowledge that our choice to serve the Lord was the best decision any person could ever make of all the choices in life. Therefore, be confident!
2. You can overcome whatever has hurt you! Now when we have done much in the Lord’s service it is possible from time to time to become even physically tired, spiritually discouraged and emotionally exhausted. We are only human. All the mature among us in the service of the Lord will eventually have friends in Christ who disappoint and hurt us (but remember to count the friends who have not forsaken you, Proverbs 18:24; Paul relied upon Luke and Timothy after Demas and others had forsaken him). We can have physical concerns and just simply our getting older that will begin to limit us and these can take time and patience to learn to deal with. We may lose loved ones and experience the awful longing of grief. These kinds of real experiences in life can deal us blow after blow that we actually feel doing us harm. After the beheading of John, Jesus exhorted those so obviously discouraged by saying, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Sometimes we need a little time to “recharge our batteries” but we must not use what should be a very temporary condition to become a permanent and abiding attitude. Remember: We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us! There is a reasonable amount of time for every cause of discouragement to eventually be shaken off so we can continue faithfully our part in the cause of Christ. I think of the element of real hope in the woman with the issue of blood who thought within herself, “If I may but touch the hem of His garment I can be made whole” (Matthew 9:20-22). Faith! Remember Paul’s statement about his own goals, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Peter’s exhortation is priceless: 1Peter 1:13, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
3. Get to work for the Lord! Someone has said, “Dig someone else out of his troubles and you dig a hole in which to bury your own.” Simply taking up the cross once again, we can actually make a new start. We want to join with Paul with no small amount of irony, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). With the knowledge you have gained from your experience remember what James said in his epistle, 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” No matter what your hurt may have been, just know that the devil cannot lay a glove on you!

He Took Courage Seeing Brethren Of Like Faith

In Romans 1:11-12 Paul longed to see the Roman brethren because their faith would encourage him. In 2 Peter 1:1, the apostle wrote to those who had received a faith of equal standing with the apostles through their careful study and conduct of life. Nothing is more encouraging than spending time with brethren in Christ. They lift and refresh our spirits because we share one of the greatest bonds God ever created (Romans 12:10).

He Took Courage Seeing Brethren Rightfully Praised

The Roman brethren were worthy of praise because their faith was being proclaimed throughout the whole world (Romans 1:8). As Paul concluded the letter, he reiterated the great faith and obedience of those brethren (Romans 16:19). Our purpose should always be one of reproving and rebuking where necessary, but we also need to be praising where necessary. We need to know that we sometimes we do what is right.

He Took Courage Seeing Brethren Concerned

Galatians 6:2 gives us a command to bear one another’s burdens. This is an excessive weight that needs the help of other children of God. John asserted that we demonstrate the love of God within us by how we help needy Christians (1 John 3:17). The Lord’s people are to be compassionate. We need to be diligent to have a tender heart toward those who struggle with the trials of this life. Let us not close our heart against them.

He Took Courage Seeing Brethren Unashamed

In 2 Timothy 1:12-16 Paul gives commands to follow the truth and cites examples of both those who held fast and those who fell away. The only way the Lord’s church will expand is through the hard work of its members who are unashamed to teach the gospel to the lost. It is disgraceful to see how many “churches” try to market the gospel as they would market a car and to make churches as “user-friendly” as possible. The truth which will save people’s souls is sometimes a hard pill to swallow and deliver.

He Took Courage Seeing Brethren Being Thoughtful

Paul outlined the humility of mind necessary for a Christian and then gave Christ as the perfect example (Philippians 2:3-5). In Philippians 4:15-17 Paul commended the Philippians for their participation with him in the spreading of the gospel. It was not the money which he needed, but he was appreciative of the gift because it taught the Philippians about the grace of God. When working with Paul, their gracious spirit would grow to even greater heights. God wants sacrifice, not self-centeredness. The quicker we lose ourselves the quicker we will our fellow man well.

He Took Courage Seeing Brethren Do The Unexpected

In 2 Corinthians 8:3-5 Paul was truly touched by the gift of the churches of Macedonia. They had a genuine concern and deep liberality, even though they were in poverty themselves. In Acts 2:44-45, we read of brethren who took these sacrificing steps because they wanted to, not because they were forced. It thrills the heart to see brethren act in a manner which would please the Lord. Thankfully, the Lord’s body is full of brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing to go above and beyond to help those in need.

Let’s encourage one another and make sure our lives reflect all the good qualities of the Lord’s people. When we learn to associate with brethren of like faith, praise what is good, be concerned for the welfare of others, be unashamed to proclaim the true gospel, be thoughtful and do the unexpected, we grow. The world is so full of evil and how refreshing it is to surround ourselves with men and women whose characters reflect the supreme character, Jesus Christ. It is only through living according to this example that we become like the Lord (Romans 8:29).

I. Error

• 1. “Some sins don’t separate us from God. Christ’s blood automatically covers sins of ignorance or inadvertence.
  1. 1 John 1:7-9; 5:16-17
  2. Romans 4:8
  3. 2 Corinthians 5:19
  1. Using a hypothetical situation to make you play God.
  2. “A man is a faithful saint for 50 years, gets splashed by mud on the street one day, curses, and then is hit by a bus. Will he be lost or saved?”
  3. Don’t play God! Clemency is up to the Judge. All we can do is quote the law!

A. Neo-Calvinists say:B. Passages Misused:

C. Favorite Tactic:

II. Truth

• • a) we walk “as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7)
    b) did Jesus sin when He walked? Neither can we!
    a) such is impossible – 1 John 1:5
    a) just compare your life to the record left by the Holy Spirit and see if you measure up – Romans 8:16
    a) all questions such as, “Do you know everything?” are just a smoke screen to cast doubt in one’s mind.
    b) we may not know everything about everything, but does that mean we know nothing about anything? Hardly!
    c) we know what we must do to be saved and to continue in the light — be assured in the practice of that knowledge!
    a) Luke 18:13-14
    b) if Jesus says the man “went down to his house justified” after confessing general sin then who can disagree?

  1. Walking in the light does not allow for sin2. Every sin separates man from God, or else God would be in fellowship with sin.

  3. Assurance is possible:

  4. We can know the truth, and thus be free – John 8:32

  5. Specific confessing of every single sin is not a part of this position

  1. If one man can be saved with unrepented sin in his life, then why can’t we all be saved that way?
  2. Could a man be an ignorant adulterer? An inadvertent liar?
  3. Which sins can man commit and not be lost? List please!

A. Walking in the light gives assurance, when properly understoodB. Questions for the Neo-Calvinists: