Psalms 15:1-5, “LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.”
One should weigh himself every day. The clock that loses a minute a day will in 60 days lose an hour if it is not set daily. The individual or institution which is not weighed daily and whose compass is not checked daily will soon find itself way off course and in bad spiritual health. One should check his position every day to be sure that he is not off course.
One of the sad things about the Christian life is that we do not become dissatisfied with a little bit of wrong. The best housewife hates a speck of dirt. The best mechanic hates a spot of grease. The best husbandman hates one locust. The best preacher hates one sin. The best judge hates one crime. The best athlete hates one defeat. The best doctor hates one germ. The best botanist hates one weed. The best musician hates one unharmonious note. The best writer hates one grammatical error, and the most consistent Christian hates to veer one degree off course. Because of this, the land must be surveyed every day. Our spiritual height must be measured every day. Our course must be charted every day.
Think of all the things the Apostle Paul did daily. He died daily, and he buffeted his body daily. The wise Christian will make a daily check on his position. the wise Christian institution will check its position every day, not in its relation to other institutions, but in its relation to what it was when God blessed it most and to its nearness to the purpose of its founders. Look at the great liberal universities which were founded by fundamental people and financed by fundamental dollars. Their change did not come dramatically. It was a slow gradual evolution. Even the most astute of its leaders did not realize a change was taking place.
The landmark was moved so slowly it could not be seen, and yet one day the institution awakened to find itself asleep, came alive to find itself dead, found enough light to find itself in darkness, walked straight enough to find itself in crooked, had just enough health to find itself incurably diseased and had just enough strength to find itself too weak to recover.
Pastor Jack Hyles and Wife Beverly
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