I
do not want any enemies. I will not deliberately and with malice
aforethought make any. It is the craving of my heart to "follow
after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no
man shall see the Lord."
(Heb. 12:14)
Nevertheless, a man's enemies can be a standing monument to his
power and integrity. It was so with Christ and it was so with Paul.
Theodore Roosevelt said a man who has no enemies is a man who does
nothing. Christ said: "A man's foes shall be they of his own
household."
(Matt. 10:35)
If
I must have a few enemies, or many, here are the kinds I want: I
want to make them "for the truth of the gospel." I want them to be
among men who have winced from the sharp point of the sword of the
Spirit. There are both in and out of the church bold advocates of
false doctrine. Some of them are unscrupulous. Chattering
enthusiasts threaten to eclipse the present glory of the church and
the power of the gospel with theories. The gospel must fit the mold
of their theories or they will have none of it. If I must make a few
enemies, I want them to be false teachers, church destroyers, and
their sympathizers and apologists. And if they must be my enemies, I
want them to be so because I have told them the truth; and on the
principles involved I will ask them no quarter, nor will I offer
them any. Christ did not; neither did Paul.
Truth Magazine - Jan 8, 1970
Other Articles by James R. Cope
The Restoration Principle
Consistency and Character
Abiding in the Doctrine
Helpful Hints for Bible Study and Understanding