April 1

so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, — Phil 1:10 BSB

If divine light has illuminated your mind, and divine life has quickened your heart, and you truly love the Lord and His people, you must naturally approve of the things that are excellent. These things are so deeply commended to your conscience that you cannot approve otherwise, just as you cannot deliberately tell a lie or call black white. And as you approve of the things that are excellent, you will naturally disapprove of everything that falls short of this excellence or contradicts it.

This is what distinguishes us from the world and its spirit, and from all those whose eyes are blinded by the god of this world—that while they approve of what God despises, we approve of the things God loves. Here is the mind of Christ; here is the teaching of the Spirit that enables us, in some measure, to see as Christ sees, to feel as Christ feels, to love as Christ loves, and to approve of what Christ approves. As long as we continue approving of the things that are excellent, and seek to know and do the will of God, we will not stray far from His path.

But the moment we lose sight of this spiritual standard and begin to adopt the opinions of men, our eyes become blind, our hearts harden, our consciences grow dull, and we may slowly and imperceptibly drift into the very spirit of ungodliness.