The Chocolate Soldier (5)

The following text was written by Charles Studd (1860 - 1931), a british missionary who served the Lord in China, India and Africa. The thoughts are to be enjoyed with a certain caution and with some humor. Nevertheless, God can use them to touch our hearts:

NATHAN was another real Christian Soldier. He went to his king and rebuked him to his face, like Peter's dealing with Ananias (only David embraced his opportunity and confessed), and unlike the Chocolate Soldiers of today who go whispering about and refusing either to judge, rebuke, or put away evil because of the entailed scandal forsooth.

Veritable Soapy Sams. They say "It is nothing! nothing at all! A mere misunderstanding!"

As though God's cause would suffer more through a bold declaration and defense of the truth and the use of the knife, than by the hiding up of sin, and the certain development of mortification in the member, involving death to the whole body. "He that doeth righteousness is righteous," (1 John 3:7) and "he that doeth sin is of the devil," (1 John 3:8) and ought to be told so.

He that is a second time led captive by the devil needs neither plaster nor treacle, but the brace rebuke and summons to repentance of a righteous man to effect his salvation. We are badly in need of Nathans today, who fear God and nought else, no, not even a scandal.

C.T.S.

Article series: The Chocolate Soldier