The Way to God's End # 5
The Demand For Reality
The demand here is that we be found in the light of reality, of facts as God sees and knows them to be. The verse is placed among other verses which repeat the phrase: If we say ... if we say ... If a man says ... Obviously the contrast is between a man who says things and thinks that they are true, and a man who comes to the light to find out what the truth really is. Our danger is that by saying things we may come to take it for granted that we are in the experience of what we say. But the light is the cleansing, checking, challenging - what we are in the light of what we say. We all do a lot of speaking about the things of the Lord, either to one another, or in prayer, or even from the platform. "If we say ..." The trouble is that our theorizing and our saying has the unfortunate effect of making us imagine that we are what we say. But we are not; none of us are! Hence the Lord's call, not so much to go on saying things, but to come to the light, that we may be checked up - not as to our beliefs, but as to our behavior; not as to our theories, but as to the spiritual reality. If I may speak for myself, I think I can say that the little that I have learned about myself, I have learned more from my critics than my friends; more from the things that I have disliked, and perhaps repudiated, than from anywhere else. But the whole point about a man or a people who walk in the light, is that they welcome light wherever if comes from, so long as it is light.
To walk in the light means to walk in the light of the Lord's Word. John goes out of his way to remind his readers that he is not writing any new things to them. He says: 'the things that ye heard from the beginning ... I write no new things to you' (1 John 2:7). The whole purpose, I believe, of this challenge as to walking in the light is to people who have a considerable amount of understanding, and right understanding, as to the things of God. John says: I am not going over again the things that you have heard, and I am cerainly not going to teach you new things; I only want to know, how is it working out? how is it tallying with your experience?
It is the light, too, of His presence. 'If we walk in the light, as He is in the light,' How important that is! To know that we are not coming to scrutinies and questions, and criticisms - we are all coming to the Lord; we are all coming together in humility and simplicity of heart on to the Lord's ground. Oh, for a new awareness of what the Lord thinks about us; what the Lord feels; how the Lord judges things; how the Lord wants them. Oh, for a new warning, as we have here, of those who have things to hide, and so there is no fellowship - there is a contradiction; there is a false position. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). There is a contradiction, not only in word but in fact. But - and that is the turning-point of this verse, and it is always the turning-point of greater spiritual fulness - "but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another."
It is the light of love. Love is very understanding; love is very patient; love is very tender; but love is very faithful. The light that shines to us may be a painful light; a humbling light; in some matters a perplexing light. But all I can say is: Lord, shine on! However bruised and batteredI may feel, Lord, shine on! At all costs, not for my sake only, but for all that it means to Thyself, not for time only but for eternity - Lord shine on!
The Way
"But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1, 2)
"But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them" (Acts 19:9)
"And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way" (Acts 19:23)
"I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women" (Acts 22:4)
"But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets" (Acts 24:14)
"But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred ..." (Acts 24:22)
"The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the Way of salvation" (Acts 16:17)
"This man had been instructed in the Way of the Lord;and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the Way of God more accurately" (Acts 18:25, 26)
"Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction,and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the Way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it" (Matthew 7:13, 14)
It is very interesting, to say the least of it, to recognize that in New Testament times the Christian life and walk became resolved into a term like this, to be spoken of as "THE WAY." It would seem strange to our ears, no doubt, if we heard people talking about us as "the People of the Way," but that is evidently how it was then, and it would be interesting to know just how that came about; and I think we shall not be very wrong if we come to an opinion about it. Evidently people in those days were very much like people today. They were given to summing things up in a terse, brief manner, and affixing labels.
You see, the very word "Christian" was their way of summing it all up. At times we have that word meantioned. "The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). Then the Apostle says, "If a man suffer as a Christian ..." (1 Peter 4:16). Clearly, it was the outsiders who gave believers that name, and, as we know, it simply means "Christ-ones," and it was shortened into Christians; it was the world who coined that title for belivers in the Lord Jesus. "They are Christians."
Evidently it was something like that that resulted in Christianity becoming known as the Way, but it was apparently the result of something they were always saying. They, or at least the chief men among the Apostles at the beginning - Peter, James, John - had heard the Lord Jesus say, "I AM THE WAY ... no one cometh unto the Father but by Me" (John 14:6); and they had gone out preaching to the world and proclaiming that Jesus was the Way and that there was no other way. So people had taken it up and said, These are the people of the Way. What an admission! Whether or not they meant it as a slight and said it with a sneer, what a lot there is in it for truth! 'These Christ-ones are the people of the Way.' And in both cases, whether it is Christ-ones or the Way, the result is that it is all bound up with, and inseparable from, the Lord Jesus. If we are right in surmising that that is where the phrase comes from - "I AM THE WAY," and these men had preached Jesus as the Way - then it comes right back to that - Christ-ones, people of Him WHO IS THE WAY; that is, not people who just have away of their own, who take a way different from others, but people of a Person Who is the Way. It is the Person Who gives character to the Way. It is the Person Who makes the Way, it is the Person Who has pioneered that Way and blazed that trail. They are in the Way of the Person.
And do you not think that is probably why the devil hated it so much? It is strange how many ways people can take with seeming success and without very much trouble. Think of all the ways that people take today, even religiously. You cannot cope with all the fantastic courses that people adopt. They go all their strength, peculiar ways - ways that you think no commonsense person would ever look at - but they go and they get crowds to follow them; and nobody bothers to oppose them. But here it is different. We come to that in a minute.
We are not going to say a great deal about the Way - what it came to mean so far as the Church and believers were concerned. We just look right on the surface of it, at one or two things that are very simple.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 6 - An Exclusive Way
A Proliferation of Christian Devotionals and Sermons
Monday, August 29, 2016
Thursday, August 25, 2016
God's Grand Plan (and other devotionals)
God's Grand Plan
It's amazing but true that God's grand plan for your life is far greater than you can imagine. In fact, this earth-bound existence has us so preoccupied with the demands of life that most of us give little thought to what it will mean to be completely sanctified.
In the Christian life, sanctification is a three-stage process. At the moment of salvation, God sets us apart for Himself. Then throughout the rest of our earthly life, He works to transform us into the image of His Son. One day, however, there will be a glorious culmination to our sanctification. Presently, we all struggle with sin, but when we die, our spirits and souls will ascend to heaven and be completely sinless. Then we'll see our Savior face to face and experience unimaginable joy. No longer will we struggle with the pride of life or the lusts of the flesh and the eyes (1 John 2:16).
However, as great as this will be, it's not yet the final step. Some day in the future, Jesus will descend from heaven, bringing with Him the souls of those who have died in Christ. They will be united with their resurrected bodies, and believers who are still alive on the earth will be changed (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-54). Then sanctification will be complete--spirit, soul, and body.
This is not a fairy tale, but the believer appointed destiny. God Himself promises to bring it to pass. We'll walk in His presence, spotless and without blame, for all eternity. Knowing this, how will you live today? The promise of salvation isn’t meant just to give hope, but to spur us on to holy living.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 4; Mark 11:1-18
Today's Thoughts: Stop to Hear His Voice
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21
Which way? This way or that way? Today, there are so many paths we can follow. We have the advice of our family, friends, the media and then there is our own instinct. But how do we know the right way? How do we discern which way is really best for us?
The other day, I counseled a woman who was convinced that she was doing God’s will by serving the church. She gave of herself, her finances, and her time. She experienced the Lord’s help as He gave her great ideas and even multiplied her time to keep going. But, soon, she came to me full of bitterness, disillusioned by the people and the staff. She felt confused and angry. She asked questions like, “How could this be God’s way? How could they so disregard her following the Lord? And where was He in their actions?”
We ask the same questions, “Which way Lord? What is Your will, Lord?” and then we follow the direction He gives. But sometimes, we find ourselves angry and resentful. How come? What happens? Frequently, God answers our prayer and uses us and guides us. However, once He has shown us what He wants, frequently we stop asking for further wisdom and counsel and just go on our own way in the name of the Lord. This verse talks about God speaking from behind us. And why would God need to speak from behind us unless we have run ahead of Him? So often, He leads us to a certain place, position, or calling, then we run ahead. When we run ahead, we lose His way and make it our way. That is what happened to my friend who was seeking counsel. She knew that the Lord had one job for her to do. When that job was completed and very blessed, she determined in her heart to do more. More wasn’t asked of her by the church or by the Lord. And it is because of the “more” that she grew angry. God now called to her from behind to lead her forward in a new direction or way to walk.
God is faithful. He will lead you and answer you when you call out to Him. Just remember to keep asking continually as you proceed. Always follow His leading. If you begin to experience anger, bitterness and judgmental thoughts, you have probably run ahead of God. Stop until you can hear His voice from behind you. He will lead you back into His way and help you to walk in it.
~Daily Disciples Devotional~
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God Acts on Our Behalf
The Lord is a God of action. Even when He rested on the seventh day of creation, it wasn't because He was tired and needed to recuperate. Although He deliberately made a choice to stop His creative activity, He never ceased working. While the Lord is always controlling the universe, He is, at the same time, intimately involved with individual lives.
God has a plan for each one of us and wants us to know what it is. Every time we take a step of obedience, He sheds more light on our path. But sometimes He asks us to pause awhile, and we may not know why. We long for direction in a particular matter, but our prayers just aren't being answered, and we wonder, Why does He delay?
When you aren't seeing any answers, it doesn't mean that God is not working. He's still actively involved in your life, but He works in ways that are not always visible He orchestrates circumstances, changes people's hearts, and protects His children from making hasty decisions that will have disastrous consequences. Perhaps the Lord knows you're not yet ready for the next leg of your spiritual journey. Waiting times are opportunities for growth in character, obedience, and faith. He may also need time to train you for future responsibilities and ministries.
When you intentionally choose to be still, God unleashes His mighty power on your behalf. He has planned good things for those who wait, and I believe what He has in store for your life will surpass all expectations. When He knows you're ready to receive His blessings, they'll flow into your lap.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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The Devil's Seeds of Doubt
As we saw yesterday, Satan will seek to attack when we are on the verge of a major breakthrough. I believe there are three distinct areas of attack in this battle. Today I want to cover the first with you. It is found in Matthew 4:3-4,
Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
The devil's first area of attack will be to try to get you to doubt your calling.
Notice that just prior to this encounter the voice of God the Father said to Jesus, "This is My beloved Son!" And that is the first thing the devil challenges, "Well, if you are the Son of God…."
He will do the same thing to you.
What is it that God has spoken to you about that He wants you to do with your life? Has He told you that He wants to use you to funnel vast resources into the gospel? Or maybe God said you are to be a teacher, or that you are going to impact the entertainment industry, or that you are going to be a prayer warrior and tip the spiritual scales in critical times.
Whatever it is, the devil will saddle up next to you and say, "Who do you think you are? What God has told you is just a pipe dream. It's just your own head speaking to you." He will try and get you to doubt what God has said to you and to doubt what God has called you to do.
When that happens, you need to go back to that word that God has spoken to you in order to keep your focus and direction right.
~Bayless Conley~
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Learning Obedience through Suffering
Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to suffer so much when He came to earth as a man? One might expect that the Son of the living God would live a comfortable life and die a peaceful death. After all, wouldn't His blood have paid for our sins whether it was shed painlessly or torturously?
But Jesus took on human flesh and came to earth not just to die for our transgressions but also—with the exception of sin—to identify with us in every area of our lives. And that includes suffering (Heb. 2:17-18). How would a Savior who had no experience with pain help us when we hurt? Also, when it's difficult for us to obey the Lord, we need the help of One who learned obedience from the things He suffered.
Unlike us, Jesus didn't move from being rebellious to becoming obedient. Rather, He learned by personal experience the pathway we have to walk when God calls us to do something difficult or painful.
In His humanity, Christ struggled with the assignment that lay before Him: death on the cross. Even though the Father heard His cries, the plan was not changed, and Jesus walked through all of it in complete submission, just as He had done with every divine "assignment" throughout His earthly life.
In His humanity, Christ struggled with the assignment that lay before Him: death on the cross. Even though the Father heard His cries, the plan was not changed, and Jesus walked through all of it in complete submission, just as He had done with every divine "assignment" throughout His earthly life.
The only reason you and I have salvation is because Jesus always did what pleased His Father—had He rebelled in that one area, all hope for lost humanity would be cancelled. If His obedience in suffering resulted in such a great benefit, just imagine what is in store for us when we do what God wants.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.”—Deut 1:36
Every hard duty that lies in your path, that you would rather not do, that it will cost you pain and struggle or sore effort to do, has a blessing in it. Not to do it, at whatever cost, is to miss the blessing.
Every hard piece of road on which you see the Master’s shoe-prints and along which He bids you follow Him, surely leads to blessing, which you cannot get if you cannot go over the steep, thorny path.
Every point of battle to which you come, where you must draw your sword and fight the enemy, has a possible victory which will prove a rich blessing to your life. Every heavy load that you are called to lift hides in itself some strange secret of strength.
—J. R. Miller
—J. R. Miller
“I cannot do it alone;
The waves run fast and high,
And the fogs close all around,
The light goes out in the sky;
But I know that we two
Shall win in the end, Jesus and I.
“Coward and wayward and weak,
I change with the changing sky;
Today so eager and bright,
Tomorrow too weak to try;
But He never gives in,
So we two shall win, Jesus and I.
“I could not guide it myself,
My boat on life’s wild sea;
There’s One who sits by my side,
Who pulls and steers with me.
And I know that we two
Shall safe enter port,
Jesus and I.”
~L. B. Cowman~
Monday, August 22, 2016
The Cross, The Cross (and other hymns/songs of Praise and Worship)
The Cross, The Cross
~John H. Stockton~
The Cross, the Cross, the bloodstained Cross,
The hallowed Cross I see;
Reminding me of precious blood
That once was shed for me.
A thousand, thousand fountains spring
Up from the throne of God;
But none to me such blessings bring
As Jesus' precious blood.
That priceless blood my ransom paid
When I am bondage stood;
On Jesus all my sins were laid,
He saved me with His blood.
By faith that blood now sweeps away
My sins, as like a flood;
Nor lets one guilty blemish stay;
All praise to Jesus' blood!
This wondrous theme will best employ
My heart before my God;
And make all heaven resound with joy
For Jesus' cleansing blood.
_________________________
The Cross of popular evangelism is NOT the Cross of the New Testament. It is, rather, a new bright ornament upon the bosom of self-assured and carnal Christianity whose hands are indeed the hands of Abel but whose voice is the voice of Cain. The old Cross slew men; the new Cross entertains them. The old Cross condemned; the new Cross amuses. The old Cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new Cross encourages it. The old Cross brought tears and blood; the new Cross brings laughter. The flesh, smiling and confident, preaches and sings about the Cross; before the Cross it bows and toward the Cross it points with carefully staged histrionics - but upon that Cross it will not die, and the reproach of that Cross it stubbornly refuses to bear.
In the name of Christ, men have made void the Cross of Christ. The Church needs repentance and judgment.
How many millions of poor souls, who thought they were saved, will be lost when judgment comes?
~A. W. Tozer~
______________________________
Because it was not the Father's will that any should perish, Jesus was devoted to the rescue of fallen mankind - completely devoted to it. He did that one thing that would permit a holy God to forgive sin. He was devoted to the altar of sacrifice so that mankind might be rescued from the wages of sin.
Christ did what they could not do for themselves. He was the only One who could rescue them. He did so through love.
Our spirits were designed to communicate with Deity. All praise and honor and worship belong to God the Father, Christ the Son, and to the indwelling Holy Spirit. Amen
Jesus suffered rejection by man because of His holiness. Though He hid His holiness from man, man still knew there was something about sinless Jesus that they knew He was too holy to be received by sinful men. His holy life was a constant rebuke to them.
I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ saved me completely - therefore He asks me for total commitment. He expects me to be a disciple totally dedicated.
Joined to Jesus Christ, how can we be other than what He is? What He does, we do. Where He leads, we go. This is genuine Christianity.
________________________
Christianity has lost its dignity. And we will never get it back unless we know the dignified holy God, who rides on the wings of the wind and makes the clouds His chariots. What do we mean by "dignity?" How do we approach God with the dignity He deserves? Read Psalm 104 and meditate upon the majesty and dignity of God.
_______________________
Our gains in religion have all been external and "the losses we've suffered have all been internal: the loss of dignity and worship and majesty, of inwardness, of God's presence, of fear and spiritual delight. Tozer was speaking to a previous generation, but many of his observations apply as well to the church today. Change can only come, of course, on an individual level. Spend some time in self-examination: Have your gains been more external than internal? Have you experienced a loss of inward communion with the Lord? What must be done immediately and long-term to flip the focus inward and allow the outward to come in God's time? Spend some time in prayer before the throne of God, confessing any luckwarmness of heart, and ask God to strengthen your inner life of faith.
~A. W. Tozer~
~John H. Stockton~
The Cross, the Cross, the bloodstained Cross,
The hallowed Cross I see;
Reminding me of precious blood
That once was shed for me.
A thousand, thousand fountains spring
Up from the throne of God;
But none to me such blessings bring
As Jesus' precious blood.
That priceless blood my ransom paid
When I am bondage stood;
On Jesus all my sins were laid,
He saved me with His blood.
By faith that blood now sweeps away
My sins, as like a flood;
Nor lets one guilty blemish stay;
All praise to Jesus' blood!
This wondrous theme will best employ
My heart before my God;
And make all heaven resound with joy
For Jesus' cleansing blood.
_________________________
The Cross of popular evangelism is NOT the Cross of the New Testament. It is, rather, a new bright ornament upon the bosom of self-assured and carnal Christianity whose hands are indeed the hands of Abel but whose voice is the voice of Cain. The old Cross slew men; the new Cross entertains them. The old Cross condemned; the new Cross amuses. The old Cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new Cross encourages it. The old Cross brought tears and blood; the new Cross brings laughter. The flesh, smiling and confident, preaches and sings about the Cross; before the Cross it bows and toward the Cross it points with carefully staged histrionics - but upon that Cross it will not die, and the reproach of that Cross it stubbornly refuses to bear.
In the name of Christ, men have made void the Cross of Christ. The Church needs repentance and judgment.
How many millions of poor souls, who thought they were saved, will be lost when judgment comes?
~A. W. Tozer~
______________________________
Because it was not the Father's will that any should perish, Jesus was devoted to the rescue of fallen mankind - completely devoted to it. He did that one thing that would permit a holy God to forgive sin. He was devoted to the altar of sacrifice so that mankind might be rescued from the wages of sin.
Christ did what they could not do for themselves. He was the only One who could rescue them. He did so through love.
Our spirits were designed to communicate with Deity. All praise and honor and worship belong to God the Father, Christ the Son, and to the indwelling Holy Spirit. Amen
Jesus suffered rejection by man because of His holiness. Though He hid His holiness from man, man still knew there was something about sinless Jesus that they knew He was too holy to be received by sinful men. His holy life was a constant rebuke to them.
I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ saved me completely - therefore He asks me for total commitment. He expects me to be a disciple totally dedicated.
Joined to Jesus Christ, how can we be other than what He is? What He does, we do. Where He leads, we go. This is genuine Christianity.
________________________
Christianity has lost its dignity. And we will never get it back unless we know the dignified holy God, who rides on the wings of the wind and makes the clouds His chariots. What do we mean by "dignity?" How do we approach God with the dignity He deserves? Read Psalm 104 and meditate upon the majesty and dignity of God.
_______________________
Our gains in religion have all been external and "the losses we've suffered have all been internal: the loss of dignity and worship and majesty, of inwardness, of God's presence, of fear and spiritual delight. Tozer was speaking to a previous generation, but many of his observations apply as well to the church today. Change can only come, of course, on an individual level. Spend some time in self-examination: Have your gains been more external than internal? Have you experienced a loss of inward communion with the Lord? What must be done immediately and long-term to flip the focus inward and allow the outward to come in God's time? Spend some time in prayer before the throne of God, confessing any luckwarmness of heart, and ask God to strengthen your inner life of faith.
~A. W. Tozer~
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
The Way to God's End # 4
The Way to God's End # 4
The Vital Importance of Fellowship
May I add, too, that the whole emphasis is missed if we regard it as something purely personal and individual. It can easily be taken like that, and such a verse as this used so that we might feel: 'Well, things are pretty bad all around; there is nothing I can do except walk with the Lord myhself, and have a personal life of fullness with Him.' This is a very real temptation, but a mistake. If you read on in the letter, you will find that the fellowship of which John is speaking is something of tremendous significance in the largest possible interests of the Lord. This is the time, says John, that can be called 'the last hour' (1 John 2:18) it is the time when we are brought very near towhat hasbeen told us about antichrist; it is the time when thereturn of the Lord Jesus, and all, the very great all, for His Chirch, bound up woth that return, is in view. And this is the time - I speak now of the last chapter - when there comes into view, more than ever, the great cosmic conflict between that whichis of God, and the rest. The Apostle says, as he closes his letter: 'The whole world' - and all that is included in that designation - 'the whole world is in the wicked one' (1 John 5:19); and the big issue is: Shall that prevail or shall there be the triumph of what is of God?
'Whatsoever was begotten of God overcometh the world' (1 John 5:4). You may take for your own personal help, the thought that there is victory for you, by Divine lifewithin you; but you will notice that the Apostle does not say 'Whosoever" - he says 'Whatsoever is begotten of God.' My own conviction is that he is takingup the matter, not of an individual life, but of the life together of the people of God, described here as 'fellowship' - we have fellowship' - and is saying that 'fellowship' holds within it God's secret for ultimate triumph. It is a big thing; not personal, and not to be made a thing in itself.
No wonder, then, that stress is laid hereon the importance of fellowship: "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship!" Everything else springs out of that. It is the key to the realization of the purpose of God. Later on, John will speak of service; he will speak of witness; he will speak even of prayer. These are all matters very muchalive in our consciousnessand exercise. How anxious we all are, and rightly so, to be a people who serve the Lord; how concerned we must be with the ministry and the witness of the Word; how strongly we feel the urgency of the need to pray! May I suggest to you that an approach along any of these avenues is not the Divine approach. It is rathercoming from the outside in this letter, everything is made to work from the inside. For them,for us, the crux of everything is: Do we have fellowship? andout of that fellowship,service and ministry,and even prayer, find their expression. That is what emerges from this letter of John.
And then, as to the significance of this functioning fellowship - not just kind-hearted friendship, friendly relationship, but a functioning fellowship. It is of such significance to the Lord that this is the center, this is the target, this is the focus of all satanic opposition. Here I do not need tospeakfrom 1 John, I can speak from our own experience: we know it; how we know it! - and are going to know it. This is the thing, above all other things, that will provoke satanic opposition, because it is the key to everything else. Let me put the other side to you, in avery heartening verse: "To thisend was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). May we prove that! We shall prove it if we fulfill the conditions.
We notice, too, that this verse (1 John 1:7) begins, as doquite a few other verses in this letter, 'If,' if... It is as thought God says: I can provide the fellowship; I will attend to the fellowship; I will watch over and fight for the fellowship, if you will fulfill your condition. It is put here as a challenge to us all: 'If we walk in the light ...' You notice, from the use of the word "walk," how personal and practical the responsibility is. This is no matter of a meeting, or a series of meetings, only; no matter only of a crisis of fresh devotion to the Lord, though that may be the gateway into it. This is a walk. When the Scriptures speak of a 'walk,' they speak of that which is determined, that whichis persistent, of that which we have to do ourselves - God cannot do it for us. If we walk in the light, we have the fellowship - if ... if...
Yes, we are veryfaulty - the verse takes full account of that;all our faults and failings will come out in the light. But they are expected. If we walk in the light, there will be something that needs cleansing away; but the promise is, there is something that will cleanse it away if we walk in the light.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 5 - The Demand for Reality)
The Vital Importance of Fellowship
May I add, too, that the whole emphasis is missed if we regard it as something purely personal and individual. It can easily be taken like that, and such a verse as this used so that we might feel: 'Well, things are pretty bad all around; there is nothing I can do except walk with the Lord myhself, and have a personal life of fullness with Him.' This is a very real temptation, but a mistake. If you read on in the letter, you will find that the fellowship of which John is speaking is something of tremendous significance in the largest possible interests of the Lord. This is the time, says John, that can be called 'the last hour' (1 John 2:18) it is the time when we are brought very near towhat hasbeen told us about antichrist; it is the time when thereturn of the Lord Jesus, and all, the very great all, for His Chirch, bound up woth that return, is in view. And this is the time - I speak now of the last chapter - when there comes into view, more than ever, the great cosmic conflict between that whichis of God, and the rest. The Apostle says, as he closes his letter: 'The whole world' - and all that is included in that designation - 'the whole world is in the wicked one' (1 John 5:19); and the big issue is: Shall that prevail or shall there be the triumph of what is of God?
'Whatsoever was begotten of God overcometh the world' (1 John 5:4). You may take for your own personal help, the thought that there is victory for you, by Divine lifewithin you; but you will notice that the Apostle does not say 'Whosoever" - he says 'Whatsoever is begotten of God.' My own conviction is that he is takingup the matter, not of an individual life, but of the life together of the people of God, described here as 'fellowship' - we have fellowship' - and is saying that 'fellowship' holds within it God's secret for ultimate triumph. It is a big thing; not personal, and not to be made a thing in itself.
No wonder, then, that stress is laid hereon the importance of fellowship: "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship!" Everything else springs out of that. It is the key to the realization of the purpose of God. Later on, John will speak of service; he will speak of witness; he will speak even of prayer. These are all matters very muchalive in our consciousnessand exercise. How anxious we all are, and rightly so, to be a people who serve the Lord; how concerned we must be with the ministry and the witness of the Word; how strongly we feel the urgency of the need to pray! May I suggest to you that an approach along any of these avenues is not the Divine approach. It is rathercoming from the outside in this letter, everything is made to work from the inside. For them,for us, the crux of everything is: Do we have fellowship? andout of that fellowship,service and ministry,and even prayer, find their expression. That is what emerges from this letter of John.
And then, as to the significance of this functioning fellowship - not just kind-hearted friendship, friendly relationship, but a functioning fellowship. It is of such significance to the Lord that this is the center, this is the target, this is the focus of all satanic opposition. Here I do not need tospeakfrom 1 John, I can speak from our own experience: we know it; how we know it! - and are going to know it. This is the thing, above all other things, that will provoke satanic opposition, because it is the key to everything else. Let me put the other side to you, in avery heartening verse: "To thisend was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). May we prove that! We shall prove it if we fulfill the conditions.
We notice, too, that this verse (1 John 1:7) begins, as doquite a few other verses in this letter, 'If,' if... It is as thought God says: I can provide the fellowship; I will attend to the fellowship; I will watch over and fight for the fellowship, if you will fulfill your condition. It is put here as a challenge to us all: 'If we walk in the light ...' You notice, from the use of the word "walk," how personal and practical the responsibility is. This is no matter of a meeting, or a series of meetings, only; no matter only of a crisis of fresh devotion to the Lord, though that may be the gateway into it. This is a walk. When the Scriptures speak of a 'walk,' they speak of that which is determined, that whichis persistent, of that which we have to do ourselves - God cannot do it for us. If we walk in the light, we have the fellowship - if ... if...
Yes, we are veryfaulty - the verse takes full account of that;all our faults and failings will come out in the light. But they are expected. If we walk in the light, there will be something that needs cleansing away; but the promise is, there is something that will cleanse it away if we walk in the light.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 5 - The Demand for Reality)
Friday, August 12, 2016
The Way To God's End # 3
The Way of Recovery
(d) Union With Christ In The Heavenlies
Pass to the third passage, in the second part of 1 Chronicles twelve."These are the numbers of the heads of them that were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron." The third state - Hebron. The name means League or Fellowship. It says of Hebron that it was a very ancient city. Its history lay right back in the mists of antiquity, as though outside of this world. This is a very advanced position spiritually. Where do we come to through death and resurrection? What is the next position? Surely it is in the heavenlies. The sovereignty of the Lord Jesus as enthroned now comes into view. It is here they make David king. The whole question of His heavenly exaltation and government as outside of this world comes before us when we come to Hebron. I think you see quite clearly what this means. We pass from "Romans" now into "Ephesians." It is "the heavenlies in Christ Jesus." God "raised Him from the dead, and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named" (Eph. 20, 21). David is coming to the throne now, and there gathered to him many to turn again the kingdom to him - at Hebron. It is the Church in the heavenlies that, in type, we see here - the fellowship that is outside of this world, of a truly spiritual nature; union with Christ in ascention in the heavenlies where He is absolutely, unquestionably Lord. He is made King. He is "Head over all things to the church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him That filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22, 23). Well, here it is something more than an earthly society or institution, something more than a company of the Lord's people like a congregation on the earth. It is that thing which is brought out from the antiquity of "before the foundation of the world." "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4) - the Church of the eternal counsels of God. It is a heavenly position, a heavenly thing, a heavenly fellowship, which has broken its contact in spirit with this whole world system even as it is found in the Church.
And there we find at Hebron they had a very good time. Seven days they feasted, they ate and they drank, and they wanted to have another seven days. With anybody who tastes real, heavenly fellowship, there is no question of "What do you belong to, what denomination, sect, association?" They have left all that behind. They have come into a realm where it is Christ as sole and absolute Lord. If you are ready to excuse Peter for wanting to make three tabernacles! 'Let us not go back to business, let us stay here forever!' That is how we ought to feel. We have, of course, to go back to our business, but what we are thinking of is not of a conference for seven days "in the heavenlies" and then of our leaving our heavenly position and resuming the old earthly one. No! This is to be the constant consciousness of the life of the Lord's people. You have to go back to business, but you can still be in the spiritual good of the heavenly fellowship of the Lord's people, and you must stand for that.
The Way of Fellowship
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7)
The First Letter of John is the "revival" letter; the letter pointing to, and often producing, what, in the best sense of the word, can be called "revival." In John's day things had grown stale. How much the churches had had of apostolic ministry and help! How much information was stored up for them in the Word of God, which at this time was almost completed. They needed anew experience of life, and it was John's special ministry, when the time came, to bring God's message that that should be realized, and that new life should spring up. We, no less than God's people of John's day, are hungry and thirsty - not for more teaching, but - for a new experience among us of the welling up and overflowing of the abundant life of the Lord.
I feel we need to keep in mind, concerning this letter, that it was written in the light of all the previous revelation. Many who have found new experiences of blessing by concentrating on the strong, straightforward message of 1 John, have been apt to regard it as a thing in itself, as an experience on its own - "Revival" - and have been tempted to dissociate this letter from the rest of the New Testament. They have looked on it, perhaps, as an alternative to all the rest that is written. "Let us get away from all that" - into the simple statements and experience of life and light and love laid down in this Letter. How very wrong that approach is! This was written, not as an alternative to the rest of the revelation, but as the means of recovering its power and value.
Continued with # 4 - The Vital Importance of Fellowship
(d) Union With Christ In The Heavenlies
Pass to the third passage, in the second part of 1 Chronicles twelve."These are the numbers of the heads of them that were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron." The third state - Hebron. The name means League or Fellowship. It says of Hebron that it was a very ancient city. Its history lay right back in the mists of antiquity, as though outside of this world. This is a very advanced position spiritually. Where do we come to through death and resurrection? What is the next position? Surely it is in the heavenlies. The sovereignty of the Lord Jesus as enthroned now comes into view. It is here they make David king. The whole question of His heavenly exaltation and government as outside of this world comes before us when we come to Hebron. I think you see quite clearly what this means. We pass from "Romans" now into "Ephesians." It is "the heavenlies in Christ Jesus." God "raised Him from the dead, and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named" (Eph. 20, 21). David is coming to the throne now, and there gathered to him many to turn again the kingdom to him - at Hebron. It is the Church in the heavenlies that, in type, we see here - the fellowship that is outside of this world, of a truly spiritual nature; union with Christ in ascention in the heavenlies where He is absolutely, unquestionably Lord. He is made King. He is "Head over all things to the church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him That filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22, 23). Well, here it is something more than an earthly society or institution, something more than a company of the Lord's people like a congregation on the earth. It is that thing which is brought out from the antiquity of "before the foundation of the world." "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4) - the Church of the eternal counsels of God. It is a heavenly position, a heavenly thing, a heavenly fellowship, which has broken its contact in spirit with this whole world system even as it is found in the Church.
And there we find at Hebron they had a very good time. Seven days they feasted, they ate and they drank, and they wanted to have another seven days. With anybody who tastes real, heavenly fellowship, there is no question of "What do you belong to, what denomination, sect, association?" They have left all that behind. They have come into a realm where it is Christ as sole and absolute Lord. If you are ready to excuse Peter for wanting to make three tabernacles! 'Let us not go back to business, let us stay here forever!' That is how we ought to feel. We have, of course, to go back to our business, but what we are thinking of is not of a conference for seven days "in the heavenlies" and then of our leaving our heavenly position and resuming the old earthly one. No! This is to be the constant consciousness of the life of the Lord's people. You have to go back to business, but you can still be in the spiritual good of the heavenly fellowship of the Lord's people, and you must stand for that.
The Way of Fellowship
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7)
The First Letter of John is the "revival" letter; the letter pointing to, and often producing, what, in the best sense of the word, can be called "revival." In John's day things had grown stale. How much the churches had had of apostolic ministry and help! How much information was stored up for them in the Word of God, which at this time was almost completed. They needed anew experience of life, and it was John's special ministry, when the time came, to bring God's message that that should be realized, and that new life should spring up. We, no less than God's people of John's day, are hungry and thirsty - not for more teaching, but - for a new experience among us of the welling up and overflowing of the abundant life of the Lord.
I feel we need to keep in mind, concerning this letter, that it was written in the light of all the previous revelation. Many who have found new experiences of blessing by concentrating on the strong, straightforward message of 1 John, have been apt to regard it as a thing in itself, as an experience on its own - "Revival" - and have been tempted to dissociate this letter from the rest of the New Testament. They have looked on it, perhaps, as an alternative to all the rest that is written. "Let us get away from all that" - into the simple statements and experience of life and light and love laid down in this Letter. How very wrong that approach is! This was written, not as an alternative to the rest of the revelation, but as the means of recovering its power and value.
Continued with # 4 - The Vital Importance of Fellowship
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
The Way to God's End # 2
The Way to God's End - 2
The Way of Spiritual Strength
(a) A Life of Faith In Separation Unto God
At that point in their history, when things were like that, David is introduced. Over against Saul, who is a type of the world principle in the Church, David is brought into view, and we have these three gatherings to David; and they are very significant in relation to what we have just been saying. David, then, represents separation unto God and a life of faith. Israel had said, "Make us a king ... like all the nations." 'We want something visible to rest upon, something we can see and take account of with our senses, something tangible, something altogether contrary to the life of faith.' The Lord said, "They have rejected Me, that I should not be king over them" (1 Samuel 8:7). They turned from a life of faith. David comes in as God's principle of faith calling for separation from the world principle, the world spirit, the world mentality. Then it is not long before David, having been quite clearly indicated and signalized by God as the one with whom God was and to whom He had committed Himself, is, by the sovereignty of God, put into a position which is going to be the testing situation for the people of God. He provides a supreme test as to whether these people really are going on with God, or going on with Saul; going on with heaven, or with the world; going on in the Spirit, or in the flesh. David becomes the test now of spirituality - real spirituality.
In the first place, we find him in the cave in the wilderness - that is, the place outside,spiritually outside, in rejection; the place apart from that worldly system which had captured the Lord's people; apart from that merely traditional order of things which was only outward, in form and ordinances, but not a thing of the heart. David was put right outside of that in the wilderness, and of course he was repudiated by that whole official system, and it was positively against him - if possible,for his destruction. So that the very first thing that arose for the people of God was the question of their discernment, discernment as to where God really was - with Saul or with David - and as to where their deepest spiritual needs would be met. I think it is very unfortunate that the Hebrew word has been translated "discontented" in the text. It would have been far better to keep the marginal rendering in the text - "bitter of soul." It has been made use of by a lot of people who speak disparagingly of a place as a 'cave of Adullam,' implying that it is a place of a lot of discontented and disgruntled people who cannot get on with any body else. But to give it that kind of meaning is to sweep aside the whole spiritual significance of this. God has had to do this sort of thing again and again. When the Church has departed from a purely spiritual, heavenly position,a true life of separation unto Himself, it has been found that the majority were not ready for it, and then people have said of them, 'Oh, that is a cave of Adullam, a lot of discontented people.' No, they were bitter of soul, and unable to meet their spiritual liabilities; in debt because the provision for spiritual competency had been lost on account of something quite false having gained the position amongst the Lord's people. That is quite a true position spiritually.
But here was David outside of that whole world system that had captured the Lord's people, and it was a question of whether the Lord's people could discern; and those that did discern went out to David to a place of faith.
(b) Union With Christ In Death
What I want to say here in the first place is that this position in the wilderness, and all that it involved for David and for those who went out to him, clearly and positively represents the believer's union with Christ in death. These others have been glorying in this wonderful fellow Saul, glorying in this idea of their's of a great kingdom. It was a worldly thing, according to the nations. Paul said, "Far be it from me to glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). It is that union with Christ in death to the whole world spirit and system, to the whole world tendency that is constantly invading the Church, like the Philistines who came in again and again with their worldly principles, causing trouble and bringing the Lord's people into a place where He could not go on with them nor commit Himself to them. Those who went out to David took a position outside of that, and represent the truly spiritual people who take their place in that aspect of the Cross which means death to that whole thing. David's life was being sought, and those who joined him became fugitives with him and really, from one standpoint, it was a laying down of their life to the whole world. They lost their position and all their hopes in that kingdom. They laid down their life, and took all the risks bound up with associating with David.
(c) Union With Christ In Resurrection
The second passage, at the beginning of 1 Chronicles twelve, brings us to Ziklag. We will not stay to rehearse how David came into possession of the city, but here we find that in Ziklag there was another secession to David. What we do not know about Ziklag is that while David and his men were away one day, the Amalekites made a raid on the city and captured everything, wives and children and all possessions, and then burned the city with fire and went off. When David and his men came back, they found everything gone or destroyed. They wept, it says, "until they had no more power to weep." It was a very serious and critical situation. It was the death side in very truth. But then it says, "David strengthened himself in the Lord his God," and he inquired of the Lord whether he should pursue after the Amalekites,and the Lord said, "Yes, pursue." The Lord sovereignly facilitated his overtaking of the Amalekites, so that he recovered everything (1 Samuel 30:1-31).
This is another stage in true spiritual life and fullness. To me it corresponds to the Letter to the Romans. In the first chapter of that letter you find everything being lost. From the very first verses, you mark this movement to discover something that has been lost in Adam, and when you get to the end of chapter five, you have reached the point where everything is lost. Chapter six brings in the Cross, and from then onward you find everything is being recovered. Everything that was lost is recovered through the Cross. In chapter eight, you have a full recovery, and you find that the whole creation, which was subjected to vanity, is recovered. All that was lost through Adam's sin has now been recovered, and this is the resurrection side of the Cross. The death always goes with it. The Lord never overlooks the death side - that in Adam, in the world under judgment, everything is lost. In the case of David we carry over from the wilderness to Ziklag on the death side, but then we take a further step here to the recovery of everything in resurrection. David strengthened himself in his God. The Lord said, "Pursue ... overtake, and (thou) shalt without fail recover all." That is the other side. There is resurrection union with the Lord Jesus as well as death union. It would not do for us to take the death position with Christ and leave it there; we must come on to the other side. Spiritual progress means the apprehending of Christ risen for the recovery of all that has been lost: and it has been recovered. It was a very full recovery.
continued with # 3 - (d) Union With Christ in the Heavenlies
The Way of Spiritual Strength
(a) A Life of Faith In Separation Unto God
At that point in their history, when things were like that, David is introduced. Over against Saul, who is a type of the world principle in the Church, David is brought into view, and we have these three gatherings to David; and they are very significant in relation to what we have just been saying. David, then, represents separation unto God and a life of faith. Israel had said, "Make us a king ... like all the nations." 'We want something visible to rest upon, something we can see and take account of with our senses, something tangible, something altogether contrary to the life of faith.' The Lord said, "They have rejected Me, that I should not be king over them" (1 Samuel 8:7). They turned from a life of faith. David comes in as God's principle of faith calling for separation from the world principle, the world spirit, the world mentality. Then it is not long before David, having been quite clearly indicated and signalized by God as the one with whom God was and to whom He had committed Himself, is, by the sovereignty of God, put into a position which is going to be the testing situation for the people of God. He provides a supreme test as to whether these people really are going on with God, or going on with Saul; going on with heaven, or with the world; going on in the Spirit, or in the flesh. David becomes the test now of spirituality - real spirituality.
In the first place, we find him in the cave in the wilderness - that is, the place outside,spiritually outside, in rejection; the place apart from that worldly system which had captured the Lord's people; apart from that merely traditional order of things which was only outward, in form and ordinances, but not a thing of the heart. David was put right outside of that in the wilderness, and of course he was repudiated by that whole official system, and it was positively against him - if possible,for his destruction. So that the very first thing that arose for the people of God was the question of their discernment, discernment as to where God really was - with Saul or with David - and as to where their deepest spiritual needs would be met. I think it is very unfortunate that the Hebrew word has been translated "discontented" in the text. It would have been far better to keep the marginal rendering in the text - "bitter of soul." It has been made use of by a lot of people who speak disparagingly of a place as a 'cave of Adullam,' implying that it is a place of a lot of discontented and disgruntled people who cannot get on with any body else. But to give it that kind of meaning is to sweep aside the whole spiritual significance of this. God has had to do this sort of thing again and again. When the Church has departed from a purely spiritual, heavenly position,a true life of separation unto Himself, it has been found that the majority were not ready for it, and then people have said of them, 'Oh, that is a cave of Adullam, a lot of discontented people.' No, they were bitter of soul, and unable to meet their spiritual liabilities; in debt because the provision for spiritual competency had been lost on account of something quite false having gained the position amongst the Lord's people. That is quite a true position spiritually.
But here was David outside of that whole world system that had captured the Lord's people, and it was a question of whether the Lord's people could discern; and those that did discern went out to David to a place of faith.
(b) Union With Christ In Death
What I want to say here in the first place is that this position in the wilderness, and all that it involved for David and for those who went out to him, clearly and positively represents the believer's union with Christ in death. These others have been glorying in this wonderful fellow Saul, glorying in this idea of their's of a great kingdom. It was a worldly thing, according to the nations. Paul said, "Far be it from me to glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). It is that union with Christ in death to the whole world spirit and system, to the whole world tendency that is constantly invading the Church, like the Philistines who came in again and again with their worldly principles, causing trouble and bringing the Lord's people into a place where He could not go on with them nor commit Himself to them. Those who went out to David took a position outside of that, and represent the truly spiritual people who take their place in that aspect of the Cross which means death to that whole thing. David's life was being sought, and those who joined him became fugitives with him and really, from one standpoint, it was a laying down of their life to the whole world. They lost their position and all their hopes in that kingdom. They laid down their life, and took all the risks bound up with associating with David.
(c) Union With Christ In Resurrection
The second passage, at the beginning of 1 Chronicles twelve, brings us to Ziklag. We will not stay to rehearse how David came into possession of the city, but here we find that in Ziklag there was another secession to David. What we do not know about Ziklag is that while David and his men were away one day, the Amalekites made a raid on the city and captured everything, wives and children and all possessions, and then burned the city with fire and went off. When David and his men came back, they found everything gone or destroyed. They wept, it says, "until they had no more power to weep." It was a very serious and critical situation. It was the death side in very truth. But then it says, "David strengthened himself in the Lord his God," and he inquired of the Lord whether he should pursue after the Amalekites,and the Lord said, "Yes, pursue." The Lord sovereignly facilitated his overtaking of the Amalekites, so that he recovered everything (1 Samuel 30:1-31).
This is another stage in true spiritual life and fullness. To me it corresponds to the Letter to the Romans. In the first chapter of that letter you find everything being lost. From the very first verses, you mark this movement to discover something that has been lost in Adam, and when you get to the end of chapter five, you have reached the point where everything is lost. Chapter six brings in the Cross, and from then onward you find everything is being recovered. Everything that was lost is recovered through the Cross. In chapter eight, you have a full recovery, and you find that the whole creation, which was subjected to vanity, is recovered. All that was lost through Adam's sin has now been recovered, and this is the resurrection side of the Cross. The death always goes with it. The Lord never overlooks the death side - that in Adam, in the world under judgment, everything is lost. In the case of David we carry over from the wilderness to Ziklag on the death side, but then we take a further step here to the recovery of everything in resurrection. David strengthened himself in his God. The Lord said, "Pursue ... overtake, and (thou) shalt without fail recover all." That is the other side. There is resurrection union with the Lord Jesus as well as death union. It would not do for us to take the death position with Christ and leave it there; we must come on to the other side. Spiritual progress means the apprehending of Christ risen for the recovery of all that has been lost: and it has been recovered. It was a very full recovery.
continued with # 3 - (d) Union With Christ in the Heavenlies
Thursday, August 4, 2016
The Way to God's End # 1
The Way of Recovery
1 Samuel 22:1, 2
"David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them; and there were with him about four hundred men"
"Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish, and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war" (1 Chron. 12:1)
"And these are the numbers of the heads of them that were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the Word of the Lord" (1 Chron. 12:23)
Spiritual Weakness Must Be Made Manifest
This was a period during which Israel was particularly menaced by the Philistines. These latter were always the shadow over Israel's life, and the instrument by means of which Israel's weakness and helplessness were brought out and made manifest. The Lord usually has some particular thing by which a state or condition is revealed. It is not always recognizable as a state in itself; there has to be something that brings it out. Because of this or that, the real condition of things is manifested as it would not be apart from that instrument that the Lord uses for its uncovering. It becomes positive, rather than abstract, by reason of certain things. The Lord will, for instance, raise up a situation, an experience, a difficulty, a concrete challenge, and then the inability to meet it and deal with it shows that that particular thing - which in other circumstances, had things been different, would have counted for nothing and would have at once been conquered and subdued - has now become the Lord's means of showing how bad the spiritual state is. The Lord has a way of doing that. When Israel came into right position and condition under David the Philistines did not count for anything, they lost all significance. But here they are very significant; they occupy a very dominant place; and that is only because of the spiritual state of the Lord's people. So spiritual weakness is here made manifest by means of the Philistines.
We have to ask, Why was it that Israel was helpless before the Philistines? Why was it that their deplorable condition of weakness was manifested in the presence of the Philistines, who otherwise would not have signified anything? When you look closely for your answer, you find that it was because deep down there was so much in common between Israel and the Philistines. The Philistines are known to us by a certain epithet - the "uncircumcised Philistines". David used that phrase concerning Goliath of Gath (1 Sam. 17:36). Now when you look at Israel, that was really their spiritual state. They were uncircumcised in heart. They were called the Lord's people, and traditionally they were such. They had the ordinances - even the ordinance of circumcision - but it was all outward. Paul draws that very distinct line of discrimination between the outward circumcision, which he called the concision, and the inward circumcision of the heart. He says it is the latter that makes us Israelites in truth, not the former (Romans 2:25-29). Here you find Israel in exactly that position - uncircumcised in heart. The fact that they said, "Make us a king ... like all the nations" (1 Sam. 8:5). showed that the thing which was common to the nations had come into their hearts. They wanted to be like the other nations. That is to say, the spirit of the world had come inside, and thus they knew nothing of what Paul called "the circumcision of Christ," "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh" (1 Peter 3:21), but the putting away of the old man entirely. There was deep down in Israel something quite in common with the Philistines, and that being so, the fact had to be exposed; and the world exposed their weakness.
It is like that with a church, with a Christian community, or with Christendom, when it is really worldly in spirit, in principle, in method. It is the world that exposes their weakness and shows how helpless they are. The world, like the Philistines, laughs at them, and says, "You don't count for anything, you are not to be taken seriously." The world laughs at the church or the Christian who in principle has that which is in common with itself, and the world can say "We can do your job better than you can." So we find that the world is very largely the instrument of exhibiting or exposing the weakness of Christians, simply because there is that common basis.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
[continued with # 2 - The Way of Spiritual Strength]
1 Samuel 22:1, 2
"David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them; and there were with him about four hundred men"
"Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish, and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war" (1 Chron. 12:1)
"And these are the numbers of the heads of them that were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the Word of the Lord" (1 Chron. 12:23)
Spiritual Weakness Must Be Made Manifest
This was a period during which Israel was particularly menaced by the Philistines. These latter were always the shadow over Israel's life, and the instrument by means of which Israel's weakness and helplessness were brought out and made manifest. The Lord usually has some particular thing by which a state or condition is revealed. It is not always recognizable as a state in itself; there has to be something that brings it out. Because of this or that, the real condition of things is manifested as it would not be apart from that instrument that the Lord uses for its uncovering. It becomes positive, rather than abstract, by reason of certain things. The Lord will, for instance, raise up a situation, an experience, a difficulty, a concrete challenge, and then the inability to meet it and deal with it shows that that particular thing - which in other circumstances, had things been different, would have counted for nothing and would have at once been conquered and subdued - has now become the Lord's means of showing how bad the spiritual state is. The Lord has a way of doing that. When Israel came into right position and condition under David the Philistines did not count for anything, they lost all significance. But here they are very significant; they occupy a very dominant place; and that is only because of the spiritual state of the Lord's people. So spiritual weakness is here made manifest by means of the Philistines.
We have to ask, Why was it that Israel was helpless before the Philistines? Why was it that their deplorable condition of weakness was manifested in the presence of the Philistines, who otherwise would not have signified anything? When you look closely for your answer, you find that it was because deep down there was so much in common between Israel and the Philistines. The Philistines are known to us by a certain epithet - the "uncircumcised Philistines". David used that phrase concerning Goliath of Gath (1 Sam. 17:36). Now when you look at Israel, that was really their spiritual state. They were uncircumcised in heart. They were called the Lord's people, and traditionally they were such. They had the ordinances - even the ordinance of circumcision - but it was all outward. Paul draws that very distinct line of discrimination between the outward circumcision, which he called the concision, and the inward circumcision of the heart. He says it is the latter that makes us Israelites in truth, not the former (Romans 2:25-29). Here you find Israel in exactly that position - uncircumcised in heart. The fact that they said, "Make us a king ... like all the nations" (1 Sam. 8:5). showed that the thing which was common to the nations had come into their hearts. They wanted to be like the other nations. That is to say, the spirit of the world had come inside, and thus they knew nothing of what Paul called "the circumcision of Christ," "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh" (1 Peter 3:21), but the putting away of the old man entirely. There was deep down in Israel something quite in common with the Philistines, and that being so, the fact had to be exposed; and the world exposed their weakness.
It is like that with a church, with a Christian community, or with Christendom, when it is really worldly in spirit, in principle, in method. It is the world that exposes their weakness and shows how helpless they are. The world, like the Philistines, laughs at them, and says, "You don't count for anything, you are not to be taken seriously." The world laughs at the church or the Christian who in principle has that which is in common with itself, and the world can say "We can do your job better than you can." So we find that the world is very largely the instrument of exhibiting or exposing the weakness of Christians, simply because there is that common basis.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
[continued with # 2 - The Way of Spiritual Strength]
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