My Dear Brother:I have had it on my heart to share with you a few thoughts in connection with
the Lord’s Supper_ that solemn and precious remembrance of Christ. First of all, there is great
importance in seeing clearly the object and character of that great central meeting which gives its
character to all other meetings. It is described for us in a simple manner in The Acts, and there
we see the primary object of that meeting:"Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples
came together to break bread" (20:7). It does not say, as we sometimes hear, "to a worship
meeting." Worship, no doubt, they would; but that was not what was present to their minds. It
was their Lord who was before them_Him of whom the bread spoke.

The purpose of coming together should be distinctly before our minds. We must be simple in it.
In two opposite ways this simplicity may be destroyed, and the character of the meeting be
lowered and souls suffer. Let us spend a little time in the consideration of this.

First, when we come together, after six days of warfare in the world (would that were always
spiritual warfare, and that we realized the world as an enemy’s country simply), we are apt to
come full of our spiritual needs, to be refreshed and strengthened. We may not use the term, but
still the idea in the Lord’s Supper to us thus will be that it is a "means of grace." We bring jaded
spirits and unstrung energies to a meeting where we trust the weariness will be dispelled and the
lassitude recovered from. We come to be ministered to and helped. We require the character of
it to be soothing and comforting, speaking much of grace and quieting our overdone nerves for
another week before us, in which we know too surely that we shall go through the same course
exactly, and come back next Lord’s day as weary as before, with the same need and thought of
refreshment. We come with the same self, in fact, as an object, and scarcely Christ at all, or
Christ very much as a means to an end, and not Himself the end.

This is the evil of this state of things:Christ is not in any due sense before our soul, but rather it
is our need, which He is to be the means of supplying. No doubt there is a measure of truth in this
view of the Lord’s Supper. Can we come ever to Him without finding refreshment from the
coming? Does He not, blessed Lord, delight to serve us? Do not the bread and wine speak of
refreshment ministered_"Wine that maketh glad the heart of man … and bread which
strengtheneth man’s heart"?

Surely all this is true. But true as it is, it is not this that gathers us. Does not "to show the Lord’s
death" have a deeper meaning? His own words, "Do this," are not for the regrouping of your own
strength, but, "in remembrance of Me." Thus this sacramental use of Christ, as I may term it
(common as it really is, alas, among those who think that they have outgrown sacraments)
essentially lowers the whole thought of the Lord’s Supper. The remembrance of Christ is
something more and other than what I get by the remembrance; something more than the
strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the body and blood of Christ If we make ourselves
the object, will that lead to blessing for us? What honor has Christ in all this? And what must be
the character of meetings to which languid and wayworn souls come, seeking a stimulating cordial
to return to what seems only too sadly indicated to be the main business of their lives?

We may have to approach this subject from another side. Let us look now, however, at the other
way in which our souls may be tempted from the simplicity of the remembrance of Christ.

When we look at the worship of heaven, in that picture which so often tempts our eyes in
Revelation 5, it is the simple presence of the Lamb slain that calls out the adoration of those
elders, in whom some of us have learned to recognize our representatives. Worship with them was
no arranged, premeditated thing, but the pouring out of hearts that could not be restrained in the
presence of Him who had redeemed them to God by His blood. And here is the mistake on our
parts when we think we can make worship a matter of prearrangement, while it is, in fact, a thing
dependent upon the true remembrance of the Lord.

There will be blessing on the one hand and worship on the other in proportion as our eyes are
taken off ourselves and fixed upon the object which both ministers the one and calls forth the
other. Blessing there will be; for how can the sight of Him do otherwise than bless? And worship
there will be; for this is the true and spontaneous response of the heart to the sight of One who,
being the Son of God, yet loved us, and gave Himself for us. The great point pressed, therefore,
in Scripture is remembrance:"This do in remembrance of Me." "Ye do show the Lord’s death."

Of course, we are not to forget that while our eyes look back upon the Lamb slain, it is from the
hither side of His resurrection that we contemplate this. "The first day of the week" speaks of
resurrection out of death, and gives Him back to us in all the reality of a living person. While we
remember His death, we do it in the glad knowledge of His resurrection, and with the Lord
Himself in our midst. Who could celebrate the Lord’s death but for this? Who could sound a note
of praise did He not Himself first raise it? He says, "In the midst of the Church will I sing praise
unto Thee" (Heb. 2:12). Death, but death passed, do we celebrate; death which, thus seen, is only
the depths of a living love which we carry with us, unexhausted, inexhaustible, unfathomed and
unfathomable.

"A Lamb as it had been slain" is the object of the elders’ worship. The Living One bears with Him
forever the memorials of His blessed death. The cross is not only atonement effected for us, but
the bright and blessed display of God manifest in Christ, and for us, in every attribute displayed.

(From Letters on Some Practical Points Connected with the Assembly.)

"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup" (1 Cor.
11:28). Do not let these warning words of the apostle keep anyone away from the Lord’s Supper.
It is an occasion for you to fulfill His desire, but also to think while you are fulfilling it of what
you are doing. Do not be light about your attendance at the breaking of bread. Let it be a serious
matter. Be careful of your thoughts and acts.

There is a great need on the Lord’s day to be thinking beforehand of the Lord’s Supper. I am not
referring to that very unwise and improper practice of looking out some scripture to read aloud
on the occasion, or some hymn to be sung. This is feeble and wrong, and tends to quench the
working of the Holy Spirit in the assembly.

What, then, is the proper way to prepare for the Lord’s Supper? What is the theme that will then
be especially before us? The Lord’s death. Who is there that fully understands what the Lord’s
death signifies? No person knows anything of its spiritual import apart from the revelation of
Scripture. The proper preparation for the Lord’s Supper is to store our minds with some of those
numerous passages of Holy Writ relating to that subject, so that we may have right and holy
thoughts about the sacrifice and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saturate your mind with the very
words of the Holy Ghost in reference to that death. Never give yourself up to your own thoughts
and ideas on that sacred subject. The person who thinks his own thoughts about the death of Christ
is sure to end in error and delusion. The one who most rightly appreciates the death of Christ is
the one most subject to the Word of God, and who will not trust himself to express views about
that death in terms other than scriptural.

Throughout the Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New, we find the great theme of the
death of the Lord Jesus Christ recurring, and presented to us in various ways. The prayerful study
of such passages prepares our hearts so that when we are together our meditations are kept in
accord with God’s revealed truth about His beloved Son. Let us therefore examine ourselves with
regard to this practice, and so let us eat the bread and drink the cup in the felt presence of the
Lord who died. We are kept by the Word of truth; and we may know that the Spirit of God is
assuredly directing our thoughts when in the assembly He brings before us His own words about
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(From The Institution and Observance of the Lord’s Supper.)

In the present day particularly I find that however gifted any may be, the spirit and power of
worship is what is most needed. This, as it is surely the spirit of meekness and lowliness of heart
before God and man, is the great need in all the assemblies, and it is this which is the great
preparative and safeguard of labor of every kind in those that have ability to minister, as well as
of profiting in those ministered to.

Is there not in this respect a great, if not the greatest, shortcoming? Do our assemblies_say on
Lord’s day mornings and at our worship meetings_present to the eye of God groups of saints,
from the grateful heart of each of whom a precious odor of thankfulness and gratitude is seen
ascending up as incense to Jesus as He sits at the Father’s right hand? Are these busy minds, as
we sit in silence before our Father, seen by Him to be feeding upon the Lamb in the midst of the
throne, who was dead but is alive again? Is there not, rather, much of restless occupation with
circumstances:some, it may be, thinking who will speak or pray; others, whether they shall do
so or not? This is all the result of feebleness in the spirit of worship. I am persuaded that if there
were more sitting in silence of worship, and if our subjection to the Spirit in conscious, mutual
subjection were thus more manifested, each heart, each mind the while more busied in communion
with the Father and the Lamb, we should have far more comfort of love, as well as increase in
our fellowship together.

"And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the
children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the
people bowed the head and worshiped" (Exod. 12:26,27). The Lord’s thoughtful care for the
dawning intelligence of the children in the families of His people of old is brought out in these
verses. The Passover was the yearly reminder of His divine interference when their fathers were
slaves in Egypt, and brought before them year after year the great truth of redemption by blood.
It was to be expected that the younger generation, growing up, would look on with wonder, and
sometimes amazement, as the various parts of the Passover ritual were carefully carried out by
their elders. The question would naturally spring to young lips, "What mean ye by this service?"
and the parents were to answer in accordance with the testimony of the Lord. The last Passover
feast that God ever recognized was that celebrated by Jesus Himself, with His disciples, in the
guest chamber at Jerusalem. The typical Passover came to an end that night, but on the same
evening He instituted the great central ordinance of Christianity, the Lord’s Supper, the memorial
of His mighty love and infinite sacrifice. Directions for the keeping of this feast are given clearly
in the New Testament, and older believers, who have gone on in the ways that be in Christ, should
always be able to give a scriptural reason for everything connected with the observance of the
breaking of bread in remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. For now, as of old, the younger
generation is still likely to ask, "What mean ye by this service?" It is my desire, as simply as
possible, to attempt to answer some questions often raised concerning the Lord’s Supper,
particularly for the benefit of those who are young in Christ and who desire to walk in obedience
to His Word.

1. Why do we observe this feast so frequently when, in many places in Christendom, it is but at
rare intervals that what is commonly called "the communion" is celebrated? For answer we reply
that we have, in Scripture, no distinct commandment, as in the case of the Passover, regarding
the particular times this festival is to be observed. The Passover was to be celebrated once a year;
but when the Lord instituted the Supper He implied much more frequent observance when He
said, "As oft as ye do this, do it in remembrance of Me." It is the Lord’s desire that His people
should often show His death in this way, calling to mind frequently His love and sacrifice for
them. In the earliest days of the Church’s history, the Christians broke bread daily; but when the
first days of transition passed and the new dispensation was fully established, we get the scriptural
example in Acts 20:7, "Upon the first day of the week . . . the disciples came together to break
bread."

Now this is not a commandment, but it is a word from the Lord, and He has said, "If a man love
Me he will keep My words." A devoted heart does not ask, "How seldom can I do this and yet
have the Lord’s approval?" but "What does His Word show to have been the established order in
early days?" The Book answers, "On the first day of the week," and, therefore, upon that day we
delight to come together to remember Him.

2. Why is there no officiating clergyman to dispense the elements and take charge of the service
as generally in the denominations around us? We answer, Because we cannot find anything like

this in the Book. There is no intimation anywhere, either in the Acts or in any of the Epistles, of
any such officer in the early Church. Believers came together as brethren. The Lord Himself has
said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the midst." Faith laid
hold of that and recognized His presence. Wherever two or three are found scripturally gathered,
He is in the midst to take charge by the Holy Spirit, and to lead out the hearts of His people in
their remembrance of Himself. Of old, in that upper room, when the time came to break the loaf
and pass the cup, His own lips pronounced the blessing, and His own hands gave to His disciples.
Any brother going to the table to give thanks and to break the loaf or pass the cup, simply
becomes, for the moment, as hands and lips for the blessed Lord Himself. There is no human
officialism required; the simpler the better. It is Christ with whom we desire to be occupied, and
he who goes to the table does so as acting under Him. If anything more were necessary, any
ordination or official position, the Word of God would somewhere indicate it; but in regard to this
we search its:pages in vain. "One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren."

3. Why is there one unbroken loaf upon the table as the feast begins, and why is it afterwards
broken? Because the one loaf pictures the precious body of our Lord Jesus Christ in its entirety,
and the breaking signifies His death. Also we are told, "We being many are one bread (or literally
one loaf), and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17). As it is passed
from one to the other, after having been blessed and broken, each again breaks for himself, thus
indicating his communion with the body of Christ.

4. What is in the cup, and why do all drink of it? The cup contains the fruit of the vine. It speaks
of the precious blood of Christ, the price of our redemption. "The cup of blessing which we bless,
is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?" Just as the rich clusters of grapes are cast into
the wine press and crushed to give forth what Scripture calls the blood of the grape, so Christ
endured the judgment of God for our sins, and when crushed in death His precious atoning blood
flowed forth for our salvation. As we drink in solemn silence we recall, with grateful hearts, the
mighty cost of our redemption.

5. Why is not so sacred and precious a feast open for everyone? Why such care to see that only
those who know what it is to be saved, and who are seeking to walk with God and to confess His
truth, gather together about His table? Because He will be sanctified in them that draw nigh to
Him, This sacred observance is for those who have a common interest in the death of Christ, and
have been saved by His blood. In 1 Cor. 5:9-11 we are distinctly directed to walk in a path of
separation from evildoers, and regarding certain ones, we are told, "With such a one not even to
eat" (JND). This clearly includes the Lord’s Supper, and shows us the importance of care as to
those received.

6. Why is there no previously arranged program as to the order of this service, the hymns to be
sung, the prayers to be offered, and ministry to be given out? Is not time wasted in silence which
might be occupied in teaching or expounding the Scriptures? It is important, first of all, to
understand that we do not come together to pray, nor yet to minister, nor to listen to teaching or
exhortation, and certainly not simply for singing hymns and enjoying one another’s fellowship.
We come together to meet the Lord Himself, and to be occupied with Him, to offer Him the
worship of our hearts, and remember what He passed through for us. Let me put it this way:

Suppose that on a given Lord’s day morning it were known definitely that our Saviour, in Person,
would be present in the meeting room, and that all who were there from say 11:00 to 12:30 would
have the great privilege of looking upon His face. How do you think real Christians would act on
such an occasion? Would we not enter the room with a deep sense of awe pervading our spirits?
Surely there would be no lightness of behavior, no frivolity, no worldly joviality manifested as
we came together. Nor would we be coming to listen to some one preaching or expounding. Our
one desire would be to see Him, to fix our adoring eyes upon His blessed face; and if we spoke
at all it would be to rehearse something of His sufferings for us, and the gratitude and worship that
would fill our hearts as we recalled the agony endured on the cross, and now beheld His glorious
countenance. At such a time one can well understand how all might join in a burst of melody,
singing together some hymn of praise in which His wondrous Person, His past sufferings, and His
present glory were celebrated! But surely anything like mere fleshly formalism would be
altogether out of place, and if one ministered audibly, it would be simply to praise His name, or
to bring to the mind of the believers some portion of the Word that would give a better
understanding and apprehension of His Person or work. No one would have the effrontery to set
Christ, as it were, to one side, by taking the place of a teacher of others at such a time, unless
indeed directly requested by the Lord to minister.

Now, if it be borne in mind that when we thus come together as gathered to His name, Christ is
just as truly present as though our human eyes beheld Him, then we will realize how we ought to
behave in the house of God on such occasions. There will be room for praise, and for reading a
portion or portions of the Word of God which will bring more vividly before our souls the object
for which we gather. But any brother would be decidedly out of place who sought to occupy us
with lengthy expositions of Scripture, or exhortations as to conduct which have no bearing on the
object for which we come together. The sense of awe which comes over the soul consciously in
the Lord’s presence will put a check upon the flesh, and any participating, either in the giving out
of a hymn, or in leading the assembly in vocal thanksgiving, or reading a portion of the Word,
will be very sure that it is the Holy Spirit Himself who thus guides. If there be periods of silence
there will be no wasted time as we all sit gazing with rapt, adoring eyes upon Himself whom we
have come to meet.

If this one thought be clearly fixed in heart and mind that we gather to remember Him, in
subjection to the Holy Spirit, all else will soon be regulated.

What a great loss many Christians are suffering by not heeding the important lesson of these two
women recorded in Luke 10:38-42. Martha-like they seem to think that their service is of immense
importance. So engrossed with it are they, so enamored with their doings, that they have no time,
and what is worse, no inclination to listen to the word of God. They remain ignorant therefore of
what every Christian ought to know, and needs to know, to serve the Lord acceptably. Many do
not even enjoy peace with God, being too busy to let their Saviour pour into their souls that sweet
peace which is the beginning of relations with Him, and which are sweeter than all beside. He
delights to communicate to His own the full extent of the grace of God, and thus fill their souls
to overflowing with praise and worship, but they have no time to lend Him their ear. "We have
a great work to do," they say, "and we must be about it." Is it any wonder if they are restless and
full of disquietude? It is living intercourse with Christ which satisfies the heart and sets it aglow
for praise, worship, and service. A satisfied heart is not restless, whatever its circumstances may
be.

As to Mary, the Lord’s words leave no doubt as to His mind about the object of her attitude and
heart. He characterizes it as "that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Why then
will any of God’s beloved ones rob themselves of that good part which abides forever! Martha was
as truly a child of God as Mary, and as truly loved of Christ as Mary, yet she was missing what
the Lord most approved and loved. Would you, dear reader, do like her?

In the twelfth chapter of John we see blessed fruits of the Lord’s ministry in the same household.
"Martha served" _her valued ministry has no more the impatient, fretful spirit manifested in Luke
10. The Holy Spirit therefore records the service as most acceptable. Lazarus_not heard of in
Luke 10_is here, as a fruit of resurrection, at the table with the Lord. And crowning the precious
scene, Mary pours out upon the Lord the costly perfume expressing the value in which He was
held in her heart.

(From Help and Food, Vol. 32.)

"He … exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord" (Acts
11:23).

Let me try to give a few suggestions to young believers. In the first place, give the Word of God
its proper place in your heart. Do not let a day go by in which you do not spend some time over
your Bible. You cannot grow in grace without that. You are newborn babes and you need to be
fed, and the Word is not only for our food but for our enlightenment. We cannot find our way
through this world without the instructions we get from the Word of God. Not only should you
be careful to meditate upon the Word of God each day, but see that you spend some time daily
waiting upon God in prayer. Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath. A believer who is not given to
prayer will never really count for God in this scene. We are told to be instant in prayer, to pray
without ceasing.

Next, if we are going to cleave to the Lord, we should cultivate Christian fellowship_seek the
association of those of like precious faith. None of us is strong in himself, and we need one
another. We are to exhort one another, to be helpers of one another in the faith. Then let us be
unsparing in self-judgment. We need to keep account with God. When conscious of failure, or of
sin, or when we have yielded in any sense to temptation, let us not go on getting deeper and
deeper into things that are wrong, drifting farther and farther from God; but turn at once to the
Lord, face the matter in His presence; and remember, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This is what is meant by
cleaving to the Lord with purpose of heart, recognizing His authority over our lives and His
ownership of all we have and are.

(From Lectures on the Book of Acts.)

NEVER neglect daily, private prayer; and when you pray, remember that God is present and that
He hears your prayers (Heb. 11:6).

NEVER neglect daily, private Bible reading; and when you read, remember that God is speaking
to you, and that you are to believe and act upon what He says. I believe all backsliding begins
with the neglect of these two things (John 5:39).

NEVER let a day pass without trying to do something for the Lord. Every night reflect on what
He has done for you, and then ask yourself, What am I doing for Him? (Mark 5:15-19).

NEVER take your Christianity from Christians, or argue because such-and-such people do so-and-
so that therefore you may (2 Cor. 10:12). You are to ask yourself, How could or would Christ
act in my place? and strive to follow Him (John 10:27).

If ever you are in doubt as to a thing being right or wrong, go to your room, and kneel down and
ask God’s blessing upon it (Col. 3:17). If you cannot do this, it is wrong (Rom. 14:23).

(From Help and Food, Vol. 5.)

Cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart. Depend on Him. There is power in Christ; there is
sufficiency in Christ for all He would have you do or be. Some are allowed a long season of joy
on first believing. But God knows our hearts, and how soon we begin to depend on our joy, and
not on Christ. He is our object_not the joy. Sin no longer remains on you, but the flesh is in you
to the end; the old stock will put forth its buds which must be nipped off as they appear. No fruit
can come of it. It is the new nature that bears fruit unto God. But though the flesh is in you, do
not be thinking of this, but think of Christ. As you grow in the knowledge of Christ, a joy comes,
deeper than the first joy. I have known Christ more or less between thirty and forty years, and I
can truly say I have ten thousand times more joy in Him now than I had at first. It is a deeper,
calmer joy. The water rushing down a hill is beautiful to look at, and makes most noise; but you
will find the water in the plain deeper, calmer, more fit for general use.

Cleave to Christ with purpose of heart. A distracted heart is the bane of Christians. When we have
got something that is not Christ, we are away from the source of strength. When my soul is filled
with Christ, I have no heart or eye for the trash of this world. If Christ is dwelling in your heart
by faith, it will not be a question with you, "What harm is there in this and that?" But rather, "Am
I doing this for Christ?" "Can Christ go along with me in this?" Do not let the world come in and
distract your thoughts.

With regard to the world I speak especially to you young ones (see 1 John 2:14-17). They who
are older have had more experience in it, and know more what it is worth; but it all lies shining
before you, endeavoring to attract you. Its smiles are deceitful, still it smiles. It makes promises
which it cannot keep; still it makes them. Your hearts are too big for the world:it cannot fill them.
They are too little for Christ:He fills heaven; yet He will fill you to overflowing. Cleave to the
Lord with purpose of heart. He knew how treacherous the heart is, and how soon it would put
anything in His place. You will have indeed to learn what is in your own heart. Abide with God
and you will learn this with Him and under His grace. If you do not, you will have to learn it with
bitter sorrow through the devil’s successful temptations. But God is faithful. If you have been
getting away from Him and other things have come in and formed a crust, as it were, over your
heart, you will not at once get back the joy. God will have you deal with this crust and get rid of
it. Remember Christ bought you with His own blood, that you should be His, not the world’s. Do
not let Satan get between you and God’s grace. However careless you may have been, however
far you may have got away from Him, count on His love. It is His joy to see you back again.
Look at the sin with horror, but never wrong Him by distrusting His love. Do not mistrust His
work; do not mistrust His love. He has loved you, and will love you to the end. Talk much with
Jesus. Never be content without being able to walk and talk with Christ as with a dear friend. Be
not satisfied with anything short of close intercourse of soul with Him who has loved you and
washed you from your sins in His own blood.

"I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you,
and ye have overcome the wicked one" (1 John 2:14). When the apostle spoke to them previously,
he simply said, "I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one." But
now he gives us the secret of that overcoming:Not strong in their own power but in the Lord and
in the power of His might, and because "the Word of God abideth in you." There are people who
spend the greater part of the week occupied solely with the things of earth, things that in
themselves are very right and legitimate. Once a week they come together for Bible study or
worship, and say, "How refreshing and helpful!" It is like folk coming for one good meal a week.
That is not the way to be strong. "The Word of God abideth in you." It is the Word of God first
thing in the morning, the Word of God all day long, and the Word of God the last thing at night.
You go to bed with the Word of God in your mind and you will wake up with the Word of God
in your mind. It is the Word of God that keeps from the power of the enemy all the hours of the
day. Some say, "I do not think this is possible." But it is possible, and many have proven it.
Somebody said to me once concerning a fellow-laborer, "I like your friend; he seems to be just
a walking Bible." That was because that man was constantly feeding on it.

There are many Christians who think of the Word of God as something to take up an extra hour
or so when they have nothing else to do; but one will never grow that way. What little strength
you get from that hour is all used up when you are occupied with other things. You do not get
anywhere that way. But when the Word of God is the supreme thing in your life, and everything
else is made to fit into that, you will grow and become a strong Christian.

The apostle continues:"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And
the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever"
(verses 15-17). What is this world that we are not to love? It is not the globe as such. The globe
itself has nothing in it that can hurt our souls. We can love nature; we do not need to be afraid of
a beautiful view or a lovely flower. I have seen some Christians who had an idea that John meant
we were not to enjoy the world of nature. I said to one, "Isn’t that a beautiful rose bush?" and he
replied, "I am not interested in roses; I am not of this world." That is not the world that is spoken
of. This universe is but the expression of the Father’s wisdom and goodness.

Our Lord loved the lilies of the field. He drew attention to the beauties of nature; they stirred His
own soul, and He would have His people see in them the evidences of the wisdom and goodness
of the Father. But what, then, is the world? It is that system that man has built up in this scene,
in which he is trying to make himself happy without God. You get it away back in Genesis where
Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and builded a city, and there what we call the world
really began. It was a wonderful world; they were engaged in all kinds of arts, sciences, business,
and pleasure, anything and everything to make them happy without God; but it ended in corruption
and violence, and God had to sweep the whole thing away with a flood. The principles of the
world that caused the corruption and violence before the flood were carried into the ark in the
hearts of some of Noah’s children. They brought the world into the ark, and when the new world

was started after the judgment of the flood, they brought the world out of the ark with them, and
again set it up.

When some think of the world, they think of things that are abominable and vile and corrupt, the
old-fashioned saloon and gambling-place, and all kinds of violence. Things like that have little to
attract the Christian heart, but the world they need to beware of is the world of culture, the world
that appeals to their aesthetic nature. That world has no more place for the Christian than the
corrupt, abominable world in the slums of our great cities. Do not imagine that if your world is
a cultured world consisting of devotees of the arts and sciences, that you are safe and free from
worldliness. Even the business world may become just as great a snare as any other. But you ask,
"Do not we have to go into business?" Yes, Jesus says, "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them
out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (John 17:15). In all these
things we have to watch against the evils of the world.

What is, then, the lust of the flesh (the gratification of the flesh), the lust of the eye (the desires
of the unregenerate soul), the pride of life? I remember when I was a young Christian, my world
against which I had to guard most was the world of polite literature. I used to love it, its poetry,
its essays, its wonderful books, and I appreciate them yet in a certain sense. But I had to
remember this, that if ever these things came in between my soul and my love for God’s Word,
I had to turn away from them and give my time and attention to this Book; and so it is with many
things. There was a young lady with great musical ability preparing to go on the concert stage
when the Lord saved her. She said one day, "You know I have made a sad discovery; my very
love for music is coming in between my soul and Christ"; and that young woman for eight years
would not touch a musical instrument, for she was afraid she would become so absorbed that she
would not enjoy the things of God. The time came when she said, "I cannot enjoy music for its
own sake, but I can use it as a vehicle to bless the souls of men," and she gave her talent to Christ,
and He used it in the work of the gospel. No matter what it is, if you lay it down at Jesus’ feet and
use it for Him, you do not need to be afraid of it. But do not put your work before Jesus Christ.

Sometimes a fine house is "the world." Here is a Christian, and while he is little in his own eyes
and has not much means, he lives in a quiet little home. But the Lord entrusts him with a good
deal of money and he immediately says, "I must have a better house now; I must have some style
about me; I must have magnificent furniture and draperies." What for? Is he any more
comfortable? He can eat just three meals a day, he can sleep in just one bed at a time, and sit in
just one chair at a time, but he feels he must impress people.

Beauty, too, can get in between you and Christ, and it will prove to be "the world" if one is not
careful. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

What is "the pride of life"? The ostentation of living, trying to make an appearance before others,
the vainglory of the world. I think sometimes if some Christians took two-thirds of the money that
they put into a mansion down here, and invested it in sending the gospel to a lost world, they
would have a much finer mansion up there. As Christians, ours are the only joys that last forever;
ours are the things that will never pass away, and yet to think that we can be so foolish and invest

so much in that which is simply fleeting and will leave us dissatisfied and unhappy at last!

"But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." In obedience to His will there is lasting joy,
there is endless gladness. In the light of that, who would not say,

"Take the world, but give me Jesus,
All earth’s joys are but in name,
But His love abideth ever,
Through eternal years the same."

Have you made your choice, Christian? You made your choice once when you turned from sin
to Christ. Have you made the other choice? Have you turned from the world to Christ? There is
many a one who has trusted Jesus as his Saviour from judgment who has never learned to know
Him as the rejected One with whom he is called to walk in hallowed fellowship.

No one can ever put this world beneath his feet until he has found a better world above. When
your heart is taken up with that world, it is an easy thing to heed the exhortation, "Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world."

"Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach" (Heb. 13:13).

I cannot give it up,
The little world I know!
The innocent delights of youth,
The things I cherish so!
‘Tis true, I love my Lord
And want to do His will,
And oh, I may enjoy the world
And be a Christian still!

I love the hour of prayer,
I love the hymns of praise,
I love the blessed Word that tells
Of God’s redeeming grace.
But I am human still;
And while I dwell on earth
God surely will not grudge the hours
I spend in harmless mirth.

These things belong to youth,
And are its natural right_
My dress, my pastimes, and my friends,
The merry and the bright.
My Father’s heart is kind;
He will not count it ill
That my small corner of the world
Should please and hold me still.

And yet, "outside the camp,"
‘Twas there my Saviour died!
It was the world that cast Him forth,
And saw Him crucified.
Can I take part with those
Who nailed Him to the tree?
And where His name is never praised
Is there the place for me?

Nay, world! I turn away,
Though thou seem’st fair and good;
That friendly outstretched hand of thine
Is stained with Jesus’ blood.
If in thy least device
I stoop to take a part,
All unaware, thine influence steals
God’s presence from my heart.

I miss my Saviour’s smile
Whene’er I walk thy ways;
Thy laughter drowns the Spirit’s voice
And chokes the springs of praise.
If e’er I turn aside
To join thee for an hour,
The face of Christ grows blurred and dim
And prayer has lost its power!

Farewell! Henceforth my place
Is with the Lamb who died.
My Sovereign! While I have Thy love,
What can I want beside?
Thyself, dear Lord, art now
My free and loving choice,
"In whom, though now I see Thee not,
Believing, I rejoice!"

Shame on me that I sought
Another joy than this,
Or dreamt a heart at rest with Thee
Could crave for earthly bliss!
These vain and worthless things,
I put them all aside; His goodness fills my longing soul,
And I am satisfied.

Lord Jesus! let me dwell
"Outside the camp," with Thee.
Since Thou art there, then there alone
Is peace and home for me.
Thy dear reproach to bear
I’ll count my highest gain,
Till Thou return, my banished King,
To take Thy power, and reign!

"But speak thou the things which become the healthful teaching . . . that aged women . . . may
train the young women to be lovers of husbands, lovers of children, discreet, chaste, workers at
home, good, subject to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not ill-spoken of. The
younger men likewise exhort to be right-minded, in all things showing thyself a pattern of good
works, in the teaching uncorruptness, gravity, healthy speech that cannot be condemned, that he
that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil to say concerning us" (Titus 2:1-8
Kelly Version).

Concerning the Young Women

The apostle now looks at the relation of the older women to the younger women, with whom they
would as the rule have a strong influence. How were they to use their opportunities? "That they
may train the young women to be lovers of husbands, lovers of children." Here they would be
admirably in place, and with the Lord before their eyes their experience would prove invaluable
for those that have to face the daily difficulties and dilemmas of human life. Not merely were they
to school their younger ones to be subject to their husbands; to cultivate affection in the home
circle is particularly pressed. This would win with an adversary of the truth where godliness alone
might at first be repellent. Love to a husband and to children is indispensably to be cherished by
the wife and mother. Christianity was never intended to enfeeble the affections.

There is another exhortation which fits in most suitably. The elder women were to school their
younger sisters in Christ to be "discreet" or right-minded:they might be liable to rigidity on the
one hand, or to carelessness on the other. Discretion is therefore a most needed quality to preserve
on the true path of godliness and wisdom in the midst of the difficulties of ordinary Me.

Further, purity claims a great place in the exhortation of the elders to the younger ones. They
were to encourage them to be "chaste" in deed, word, and spirit; how little it was known among
the Greeks, and even among the Jews to their shame! Their very religion defiled the Greeks; it
was the consecration of every corruption, and made them far more polluted than if they had no
religion. Purity is so mighty and so essential a quality in Christianity that it outwardly and really
proved to be a wholly new element in a world without Christ. A selfish Jew or a dissolute Greek
would not fail to appreciate purity in his wife and in family life.

The next thing pressed is that they be devoted to domestic occupation_"workers at home." One
cannot but feel the gracious wisdom of such an exhortation as this; and it must have struck those
who lived in heathen circumstances even more than ourselves, accustomed to the blessed contrast
with heathen habits in these days of Christendom, however degenerate. It is a fine example of the
way in which the Spirit of God adapts Himself to the most ordinary duties in the present scene.
See it in Christ who lived for so many years of His life subject to His parents, and who, in the
most obscure of conditions, advanced in wisdom as well as favor with God and man. It is He who
makes all these exhortations as simple and easily understood as they are morally elevating. He
brings in His own grace as applicable to women as to men. He shows us the way in every sense,
the pattern of obeying God, undoubtedly beyond all comparison. How many He has led, and

fashioned, and blessed, in that narrow path He trod in a wilderness where there is no way!

The next exhortation is of great value, following diligence in work at home. It is that the younger
women should be "good" in the sense of kindness. If Christ were not before their eyes, homework
might be despised as drudgery. But if the work were ever so well done, is this all that would
satisfy or please a husband? Goodness diffuses happiness all around. The exhortation to kindness
has special wisdom in following homework. There is no place where it is more valuable and less
frequent. Nothing short of the Lord’s grace could make it a constant habit, where countless little
occurrences would inevitably turn up to try patience. But with Christ before the heart goodness
would be manifested whatever the circumstances.

Last, but not least, is the call for wives to be in subjection to their own husbands, that the Word
of God be not evil spoken of. It is most irritating to a husband to find a readiness on the wife’s
part to question his authority or interfere with his plans. The habit of subjection is of all things the
most suited to win a husband’s ear. If he had experienced previously the danger of slighting advice
given by his wife, it would have the effect of producing the wish to listen to her in the future. But
the wife’s unjudged insubordinate spirit would completely counteract this happy influence and
make even what might be good advice to be shunned and disregarded. It was therefore of the
greatest moment that the elder women should instill it into the younger women to be in subjection
to their own husbands. And this was not merely for the peace and profit of the household in
general, and for the happy relation of the wife and husband, but "that the Word of God be not
blasphemed," or of evil report.

Concerning the Young Men

Titus is now instructed as to the younger men. First he was to exhort them to a right mind or
discretion. But his own example is brought into the foreground now; any failure on his part in
discretion would be particularly prejudicial to his godly influence with the young men. Therefore
it is said, "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works," that is, of works right and
honorable.

Practical conduct, however indispensable it may be, is not everything. In his teaching he was to
see to "uncorrupt-ness." No quality can be, at any time or with any souls, of greater moment.
Compromise of truth or holiness is of all things most damaging to Christianity. Titus had a
position of great honor and equally great responsibility. It was therefore of all importance that he
should be vigilant for himself. An apostle even was in no way absolved from the necessity, both
in his walk and in his ministry, of continual watchfulness, and keeping his body under, and
bringing it into subjection, as the great apostle phrases it in 1 Cor. 9. Here, however, it is in his
teaching that Titus is exhorted to show uncorruptness; his practical walk and works had already
been insisted on.

Next, he was to show "gravity." Only the Spirit of God could maintain this high character in his
occupation with the younger men. There would not lack ample opportunity for conversation more
or less light and frivolous. But the grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ claims gravity.

There is another quality, it seems, not confined to his teaching, though certainly not excluded from
it. But the apostle presses "healthy speech that cannot be condemned," sound in itself, and not
open to just censure, not merely on the more formal occasions of teaching, but on all occasions.
Assuredly we must all feel the great importance of this, even though it be a characteristic in which
we have to acknowledge our own frequent failure. One thing alone is an adequate safeguard_the
conscious presence of God.

The apostle finally gives moral aim to this last exhortation. "That he that is of the contrary part
may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say concerning us." We have to consider not friends only
but foes, with their readiness to malign what condemns themselves. Let us seek then to cut off
occasion from those that seek occasion, that even the adversary, of whatever sort he be, may have
no evil thing to say concerning us.

(From An Exposition of the Epistle of Paul to Titus.)

Do not in public relate your experience_telling how good you are, how devoted, how holy (Exod.
34:29, Psa. 66:16, Phil. 3:13-17).

Give up at once for Christ’s sake all habits, ways, and words unlike the Lord (Eph. 4:22, 5:1-4,
5:13-18, 1 Pet. 2:11).

Never ridicule, or make sport or fun of, the mistakes or foibles of any one, especially of
Christians (Rom. 14, 1 Cor. 12:21-26, Eph. 4:2).

Avoid as you would the plague all and every form of joking, jesting, and punning on the Word
of God (Psa. 119:22,63,103,133, Eph. 5:4).

Meet with your companions as often as possible for prayer, Bible study, and conversation on the
Lord’s things (Mal. 3:16, Heb. 10:24,25, Jude 20).

It is a matter of great joy that so many young people have been led not only to accept the Lord
Jesus as their Saviour and to confess Him as such, but definitely to accept the responsibilities
which go with this. They have identified themselves with the testimony of the Lord as to Church
fellowship; they have thrown themselves into Sunday school, tract, and gospel work. We bless
God for every dear young Christian of whom this is true.

Young people do not relish fault-finding, nor do they wish always to be hearing advice. Indeed,
constant criticism and advice may fail, from their repetition, to secure the very result desired. We
trust that these few words may not be looked upon as criticism nor taken as mere exhortation. In
the language of God’s Word we may say:"Rejoice in the Lord alway." God has made every
provision to make His children happy. A sour visage misrepresents the very grace of God. "Let
us eat, and be merry." If anything interferes with our happiness in the Lord, we may be sure that
something is wrong.

"Watch and be sober." Life is an intensely sober thing. Who that thinks of the destiny of the
world, the condition of the professing church, the needs and sorrows all about us, can spend his
days in empty levity? Youthful spirits are one thing; trifling, worldliness, folly should have no
place in the Christian’s life, however young.

"Be strong in the Lord." It takes a good deal of courage to say "No" to a tempting invitation; to
confess Christ publicly; to bear witness against sin; or to invite an unconverted person to the
Saviour. If we are to be of any service to Him who humbled Himself to serve our need, we must
be ready to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

"Search the Scriptures." No one can rejoice in the Lord who is ignorant of His Word; no one will
be truly sober whose thoughts are not filled with that Word; nor can one be strong unless the
Word of God dwells in him. A daily, regular reading and study of the Bible consecutively is
therefore indispensable.

"Continue in prayer." Prayer always accompanies a true feeding upon the Word of God. We feel
our dependence and helplessness and turn to Him who alone can meet it. There are dear ones
whose salvation we desire; Christians whose blessing we wish; guidance, wisdom,
grace_thousands of things to pray for. Dear young Christian, do you pray_perseveringly?

(From Help and Food, Vol. 32.)

"With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:2,3).

The Need for Diligence

The importance which God attaches to keeping the unity of the Spirit should be plain to every
Christian reader. "Endeavoring" fails to give the real force of the word employed by the Spirit of
God. The word "endeavor" in the ordinary language of the day is habitually applied to that which
men try or seek after, even if they have not a hope of accomplishment. They feel that they may
fail, but at any rate they try or "endeavor" to do this or that. Such is not the meaning of the word
here, but rather it is zeal in heeding and carrying out what is already true, giving diligence "to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." This shows that not mere effort to attain, but
earnestness to maintain, is the exhortation intended.

There is, since Pentecost, a divine unity on the earth; not the mere aggregate of the individuals
called by grace, but those now made one by the Spirit of God. This divine society here below is
not formed by the will of the persons who compose it, although it is to be supposed that their
hearts, if right and intelligent, thoroughly go along with the grace that so united them. But the
Church of God is formed by God’s will; as it was purposed by His grace, so it is made good by
His power, the Holy Spirit being the One who brings about this blessed unity. Hence the Spirit
of God for that very reason has the deepest and the most intimate interest in carrying out this unity
for Christ’s glory according to the counsels of the Father.

There are various ways in which the saints may fail to keep this unity; but there are two general
though opposite directions in which the failure may work, which are as prevalent as they are
manifest. The first is by setting up a unity larger than that of the Spirit; the second by making it
too narrow. There may be a worldly looseness on the one hand, or mere partyism on the other;
and the danger is so great that only God’s Spirit can keep us looking to Christ by the Word.

Too Large a Unity_Looseness

In the first case men are prone to enlarge the unity. They insist on taking in multitudes beyond the
members of the body of Christ. Oh what dishonor to that excellent name! I speak not of lack of
wisdom in judging who is or is not a true believer, but of the deliberate intention to accept, and
treat as belonging to Christ’s body, persons who do not themselves even profess to be His
members, and have evidently never passed from death unto life.

Such is the well-known principle of nationalistic bodies, wherever found, whether in England,
Scotland, Germany, Holland, or the like. They profess to receive all decent people in the districts
or parishes. It is avowedly a religion for everybody. There is no demand of life or faith or
evidence of the gift of the Holy Spirit as of old (Acts 11:16,17). A member of a national church
may be a true Christian, or child of God, but there is no possibility for him to keep therein "the
unity of the Spirit." (Ed. note:In the United States there is no national church. However, many

denominations act on the similar principle of accepting all persons who express some vague belief
in God and in Jesus Christ, without regard to whether they know Christ as their personal Saviour
and Lord.)

True Christians _ those who are separated to God by faith of the gospel, in the power of the Holy
Spirit, on the ground of the work of Christ; those who are members of Christ’s body_are the
persons who are called in the bond of peace to keep with diligence the unity of the Spirit, setting
their faces against everything which might falsify that unity. One may behave as a true child of
God; he may walk worthily of all respect and love. But if he owns the fellowship of nationalism
in any country, is it not clear that he is off the ground on which Scripture places all the saints?
Unquestionably those who own a unity which takes in the flesh on the basis of rites open to all the
world are on ground far wider than that of the Spirit, and cannot be walking in accordance with
it.

Too Narrow a Unity_Sectarianism

But there is another form of departure from the truth which may hinder God’s children from
keeping the unity of the Spirit. By misuse of doctrine or discipline they may form a unity not only
in fact but in principle and design narrower than Christ’s body. Are such on God’s ground? I think
not. They may openly draw up their own form of government, or they may have an understood,
though unwritten, system of rules which excludes saints as godly as themselves who cannot accept
these rules. Here we have a sect. Their decrees are not the commandments of the Lord, yet they
become practically as authoritative as His Word, or (as is usual) yet more so. What is it for men
to pretend that they have no human rules, when they introduce some unheard of conditions of
fellowship _ here rigidly, there loosely, according to varying policy or the caprice of their
rulers_for those who come within their range? Anything of this nature takes the shape, not
exactly of nationalism, but of sectarianism, which (instead of too wide or loose borders) rather
seeks to split up those who should be together, making their communion express their difference
from their brethren, and in no way standing together on that unity which is of God.

Under this head we find God’s children often scattered through the pressure of questionable and
even wrong discipline, or of unduly urged if not false doctrine. Some prefer a communion which
is distinctively Arminian, or decidedly Calvinistic. Some might press particular views as to the
coming and kingdom of Christ; others as to ministry, bishops, etc.; others again as to baptism,
the mode or the subjects. These ecclesiastical legislators seem not at all aware that their abuse of
these doctrines or practices is incompatible with keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace, they themselves being wrong, if not in their views, at least in the way they are pressed.

Intelligence no Test for Reception

Are we to require a measure of intelligence before reception of a believer into fellowship? Never
was a requirement of intelligence heard of, even when the Church began and the presence of the
Holy Spirit was a wholly new thing. Saints were received on the confession of Christ’s name, God
having given to all the like gift, His seal and passport. (Ed. note:This is not to say that all
Christians, whatever their doctrine and walk, are to be received. As Mr. Kelly mentions elsewhere

in his pamphlet, "God will not sanction in His assembly the allowance of any real evil whatever.
Evil, no matter what its shape or measure, must be judged as inconsistent with His presence who
dwells there. The assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth:how then can falsehood be a
matter of indifference in the house of the living God? There must be the disallowance of all leaven
where the feast of Christ the pascal Lamb is kept. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, and
none can be tolerated, be it moral as in 1 Cor. 5, or doctrinal as in Gal. 5. If one called a brother
be characterized by corruption or violence, by ways wholly opposed to the truth and character of
Christ and to the very nature of God, he must be excluded from His assembly." We might add to
these remarks that there seems to be a principle in Scripture that association with evil defiles. Thus
there are three chief criteria for exclusion from fellowship:(1) fundamental doctrinal evil, (2)
moral evil, and (3) ecclesiastical association with evil. With regard to the requirement of
"intelligence," there is, no doubt, at least a simple measure of intelligence as to the character of
sin and as to the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ involved when one repents of his sin
and puts his trust in the finished work of Christ for his salvation. But to require intelligence
beyond this as to the many doctrinal truths of Scripture before reception into fellowship is to raise
an unscriptural, sectarian barrier.)

Let us consider an example. Take the hope of the return of the Lord Jesus. You know how
important it is for Christians to be waiting in truth and heart for Christ from heaven; but would
you require that those who seek fellowship in the name of the Lord should understand and confess
that hope before you receive them in the Lord? Would not this be a sect? Be it that your assertion
of the Christian hope is ever so right, and that the person in quest of fellowship is ever so ignorant
on that subject; but who authorizes you or others to stand at the door and forbid his entrance?
Perhaps by entertaining some wrong thought, he may fancy that the Christian, like the Jew or like
the Gentile in Rev. 7, has to go through the great final tribulation. It is granted that he little
understands the place of the Christian by not seeing his union with Christ in heaven, which is
made known by the Holy Spirit in this day. Hence he is in confusion and knows not that the Lord
will come and take His own before the days of that terrible retribution which is coming upon the
world.

Is, then, the knowledge of truth or growth in spiritual intelligence to be slighted? In no way; but
it is false and vain to require either as a preliminary condition from saints who seek fellowship
according to God. Help them, instruct them, lead them on in both. This is true service, albeit often
entailing much time and hard work. The other is sectarian, and wrong.

(Condensed from Christian Unity and Fellowship.)

In many ways the name "church" is misleading, partly because of a certain historical but
unscriptural meaning attached to it, and partly because the word is used in so many different ways.
For instance, a building where religious meetings are held is called a church; the persons meeting
there form a church; the denomination with which they are connected is a church. It is necessary,
as well as refreshing, to turn from these discordant definitions to the simple Word of God and
gather from it the truths as to this important subject.

The word "church" in our ordinary versions is a translation of the Greek word ecclesia, the word
used in the New Testament. "Assembly" or "gathering" would give us the meaning, which is at
once seen to be a very general term. In fact, it is used not only for the New Testament thought
of the assembly but, in Acts 7:38, for the congregation of Israel; and later, in the same book, for
a heathen mob at Ephesus (Acts 19:32,39,41).

We must therefore look for some passage in Scripture to settle the meaning and use of the word
"assembly." We find one which has all the clearness of a definition:"And hath made Him head
over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph.
1:22,23). We are in this part of Ephesians occupied with a risen and glorified Christ. He has been
raised from the dead in proof of an accomplished redemption and exalted to the right hand of God,
all things being put beneath His feet. He occupies that position not merely as the witness of eternal
redemption, but He is there as Head of the Church, which is His body. This is figurative
language, no doubt, but clear none the less. It suggests not only Lordship over His people, but
declares for them the closest connection, the same life, the same interests, and the same prospects
as His own. "The fulness of Him that filleth all in all" shows that through grace the Church is the
complement of Christ. As at the beginning, when God said, "It is not good that the man should
be alone; I will make him a help meet for him" (Gen. 2:18), so God now likens the Church in its
relation to Christ to a wife in relation to the husband_the complement, the rounding out (amazing
thought!) of the second Adam (Eph. 5:22-33). We would not for a moment hint that our adorable
Lord needed the Church to add anything to the worth, dignity, or beauty of His peerless person,
either as Son of God or Son of Man. In grace, however, He has taken her into fellowship with
Himself, and to all eternity she will be the vessel in which His grace, love, power, and blessing
will be displayed.

The Church, then, is the body of Christ. But how and of what is this body formed? Again
Scripture answers with the distinctness of a definition:"By one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body" (1 Cor. 12:13). "We all" means those who have the Spirit, and His baptism marks the
beginning of the Church. When did this take place? "This spake He of the Spirit, which they that
believe on Him should receive:for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not
yet glorified" (John 7:39). "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you" (John 16:7). "For
John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence"
(Acts 1:5). "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:4).

These passages show us that as long as the Lord Jesus was upon earth_until He was glorified

following His death _the Holy Ghost did not come. After His resurrection He reminded His
disciples of the promise_and used this very word "baptize"_of the descent of the Spirit; and in
Acts 2, at Pentecost, we have the promised baptism. Is it not clear, then, that the Church was
begun at Pentecost, not before? and does not this agree beautifully with the definition we have
been looking at? It is the body of Christ glorified; and when glorified He sent down the Holy
Spirit to form this body.

Until God called out Israel, He dealt with His people individually and in families. After the nation
came into existence, He recognized that as the responsible body, in connection with which all
earthly blessings were promised on condition of obedience.

God does not confound His dispensational dealings. When He took up an earthly people He made
all to center about them (Deut. 32:8). He did not forsake them in spite of their sad departures from
Him, as shown in the history of the times of the Judges and the Kings, but sent them prophets and
righteous witnesses, one after another, until there was no remedy (2 Chron. 36:14-21). Even after
the world power had passed over to the Gentiles, under Nebuchadnezzar, God restored a remnant
of His people from their captivity at Babylon, and_crowning act of love and mercy-sent them His
Son. Had they but reverenced Him, received Him, all the blessings promised to the earthly people
would have come upon them. But they put the capstone upon all their former sins by rejecting
their Messiah, and delivering Him over to the Gentiles to be crucified. In that act they forfeited
all claim to be considered the people of God, and all dealings with them as such, save in grace,
ceased. This is strikingly set forth in the last part of the Gospel of Matthew (chaps. 21-26:2).

After Pentecost, God began an entirely new thing. Once more did He appeal to His beloved but
unrepentant people as a nation, only to be answered by their stoning of Stephen (Acts 7). Then
the gospel began to go out to the Gentiles, and meanwhile the dealings with His earthly people
ceased. They are "not my people" (Hos. 1:9). True, the gospel is still presented to them, but not
as a nation; and in accepting it, they cease to be Jews (Col. 3:11), though it is an exhibition of
God’s grace to the remnant of His people (Rom. 11:5). As long as the Church is being gathered,
Israel is set aside as a nation until after the taking up of the Church, when God again will begin
to deal with them, and fulfill every word of promise recorded in the Prophets.

It only remains necessary to add that all believers since Pentecost form part of the Church. For
all believers receive the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13); and we have already seen that by the Spirit we
all are baptized into one body. There is no select class of specially privileged or intelligent
believers. All who believe are "baptized into one body."

If the Church began to be formed at Pentecost, when will it be complete? We have seen (Eph. 5)
that the Church is spoken of as the bride of Christ. The marriage has not yet taken place:that will
be when Christ presents her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing. At present she is espoused as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2). In Rev. 19:7 we read
that "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready"; and in Rev.
21:9, etc., we have the description of the glorious Church, complete at last. This is after the
second coming of Christ and before His millennial reign. The Lord’s second coming marks the
close of the Church period. The Church, then, is composed of all believers from Pentecost till the

coming of the Lord.

We may well pause and meditate upon the mercy which has been shown to us Gentiles that God
should visit us in grace. The whole character of His dealing has been different from that with
Israel. The cross has made us strangers here and at home in heaven. The Holy Spirit has come
down to tell us of the glories of our heavenly inheritance. Israel will yet have blessing upon the
earth, for that is her inheritance. The bride of Christ has other hopes, another_ a
heavenly_destiny. Would that she realized it more fully.

(From The Church and Its Order according to Scripture.)

We may consider the Church from two points of view. First, it is the formation of the children
of God into one body united to Christ Jesus ascended to heaven. In the second place, it is the
house or habitation of God by the Spirit. The Saviour gave Himself, not only to save perfectly all
those who believe in Him, but also to gather together in one the children of God that were
scattered abroad.

It is very clear in the holy Scriptures that the Church is the body of Christ. Not only have we
salvation by Christ, but we are in Christ and Christ in us. The Church has been formed on earth
by the Holy Spirit descended from heaven after the glorification of Christ. It is united to Christ,
its heavenly Head; and all true believers are His members by means of the same Spirit. This
precious truth is brought out in many passages, for example:"As we have many members in one
body, and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and
every one members one of another" (Rom. 12:4,5).

There is, as we have said, another character of the Church on earth:it is the habitation of God on
earth by the Spirit. This is a most precious privilege_the presence of God Himself, the source of
joy, strength, and wisdom for His people! But at the same time there is very great responsibility
as to the way in which we treat such a guest. I will cite some passages to prove this truth. "Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the
household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto
a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through
the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19-22). Here we see that, though this building is already begun on the earth,
the intention of God is to have a temple formed, made up of all that believe after that God had
broken down the partition wall that shut out the Gentiles; and that this building grows till all
Christians are united in glory. But meanwhile the believers on earth form a tabernacle of God, His
habitation through the Spirit, who abides in the midst of the Church.

In 1 Tim. 3:14,15 the apostle says, "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee
shortly; but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the
house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." By these
words we see that the Church on earth is the house of the living God and that Timothy is being
taught how to behave himself in this house. We see also that the Christian is responsible to
maintain the truth in the world. The Christian maintains the truth by being faithful to it, thus
providing a witness of the truth in the world.

The Church in Its First State

Now let us consider the state of the Church at its commencement in Jerusalem on the day of
Pentecost. We find that the power of the Spirit of God was wonderfully manifested. "And all that
believed were together and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and
parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the
temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness

of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church
daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:44-47; read also 4:32-35). What a beautiful picture of the
effect of the power of the Spirit in their hearts_an effect which was soon to disappear for ever.
But Christians ought to seek to realize it as much as possible.

The evil of the heart of man soon appeared. In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, and also in the
murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily
ministration, there was a manifestation of the fact that the sin of man’s heart was still working in
the bosom of the Church. But at the same time the Holy Spirit was in the Church and acted there,
and was sufficient for putting out evil and changing it into good. The Church, however, was one,
known by the world. One Church, filled with the Holy Spirit, bore testimony to the salvation of
God and to His presence on earth; and to this Church God added all those who were saved. This
Church was all scattered abroad because of the persecution, except for the apostles who stayed
at Jerusalem. Then God raised up Paul to be His messenger unto the Gentiles. He began to build
the Church among the Gentiles, and taught that in it there is neither Gentile nor Jew, but that all
are one and the same body in Christ. Not only the existence of the Church among the Jews, but
still more the doctrine of the Church, of its unity, of the union of Jews with Gentiles in one body,
was proclaimed and put in execution.

All Christians were admitted publicly into the Church, Gentiles as well as Jews. The unity was
manifested. All the saints were members of one body, of Christ’s body; the unity of the body was
owned; and it was a fundamental truth of Christianity. In each locality there was the manifestation
of this unity of the Church of God on the earth. If a Christian member of Christ’s body in Ephesus
went to Corinth, he would have been equally and necessarily also a member of Christ’s body in
this latter assembly. Christians are not members of a church but of Christ. The eye, the ear, the
foot, or any other member which was at Corinth, was equally such at Ephesus. In the Word we
do not find the idea of members of a church, but of Christ.

Ministry, as it is presented in the Word, is likewise a proof of this same truth. The gifts, source
of ministry, given by the Holy Spirit, were in the Church (1 Cor. 12:8-12,28). Those who
possessed them were members of the body. If Apollos was a teacher at Corinth, he was also a
teacher at Ephesus. If he was the eye, ear, or any other member whatever of Christ’s body at
Ephesus, he was also such at Corinth (read 1 Cor. 12 and Eph. 4).

This unity and the free activity of the members are found realized in the time of the apostles. Each
gift was fully owned as having the power to accomplish the work of the Lord, and was freely
exercised. The apostles labored as apostles, and likewise those who had been scattered on the
occasion of the first persecution labored in the work according to the measure of their gifts. The
devil sought to destroy this unity; but he was not able to succeed as long as the apostles lived. He
employed Judaism for this work but the Holy Spirit preserved the unity (Acts 15). He sought to
create sects in it by means of philosophy (1 Cor. 2, Col. 2), but all these efforts were vain. The
Holy Spirit acted in the midst of the Church and through the wisdom given to the apostles to
maintain the unity and the truth of the Church against the power of the enemy. The presence of
the Holy Spirit gathers together all the saints in one body, and works in each according to His
will, guiding them in the Lord’s service for the glory of God and the edification of the body.

The Church in Its Present State

Such was the Church; how is it now and where does it exist? Granted, it will be perfected in
heaven; but where is it found now on earth? The members of Christ’s body are now dispersed;
many hidden in the world, others in the midst of religious corruption; some in one sect, some in
another, in rivalry one with another to win believers to their ranks. Many, thanks be to God, do
seek unity; but who is it that has found it? The unity of the body is no longer manifested. At the
beginning it was clearly manifested and in every city this unity was evident to all the world. All
Christians walked everywhere as one Church. He who was a member of Christ in one locality was
so also in another, and he who had a letter of recommendation was received everywhere, because
there existed but ope society. The Supper was the outward sign of this unity. "We being many are
one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17). The
testimony which the Church gives now is rather that of proclaiming that the Holy Spirit with His
power and grace is unable to surmount the causes of the divisions. The greatest part of what is
called the Church is the seat of the grossest corruption, and the majority of those who boast of its
light are unbelievers. The light of God’s children who are found in the sects is hid under a bushel;
and those who are separated from such bodies, because they cannot endure the corruption, are
divided into hundreds of parties who will not take the Supper together. Neither the one nor the
other pretend to be the Church of God, and they say that it is become invisible; but what is the
value of an invisible light? Nevertheless there is no humiliation nor confession in seeing the light
become invisible. The Church, once beautiful, united, heavenly, has lost its character, is hidden
in the world; and the Christians themselves_worldly, covetous, eager for riches, honor, and
power_are like the children of the age. The greatest part of what bears the name of Christian is
the sect of the enemy or infidel; and the true Christians are lost in the midst of the multitude.
Where can we find one loaf, the sign of one body? Where is the power of the Spirit who unites
Christians in a single body? Who can deny that the Christians were thus? and are they not guilty
for being no longer what they were? or shall we call it well to be in a state totally different from
that in which the Church was at the beginning and from that which the Word demands from us?
We ought to be profoundly grieved at such a state of the Church in the world, because it no way
answers to the heart and love of Christ.

It is true that the Church will be caught up to heaven; but along with that, ought we not to mourn
over the ruin of the house of God? Yes:it was formerly one, a beautiful testimony to the glory
of its Head by the power of the Holy Spirit; it was united, heavenly, so that the world could
recognize the effect of the power of the Holy Spirit who put men above all human motives, and,
causing distinction and diversities among them to disappear, made believers in all countries and
of all classes to be one family, one body, one Church, a mighty testimony to the presence of God
on earth in the midst of men.

But it is objected that we are not responsible for the sins of those who have gone before us. Are
we not responsible for the state in which we are found? Did the Nehemiahs, the Daniels, excuse
themselves for the sins of the people? Or rather, did they not mourn over the misery of the people
of God as belonging to them? Shall we be indifferent to the state of the Church, beloved of the
Lord, indifferent to the divisions that the Lord has forbidden? No, let us humble ourselves, dear
brethren, let us own our fault and have done with it. Let us walk faithfully, each for his part, and

endeavor to find once more the unity of the Church and the testimony of God. Let us cleanse
ourselves from all evil and all iniquity. If it is possible for us to gather together in the name of the
Lord, it is a great blessing; but it is essential that this be done in the unity of the Church of God
and in the true liberty of the Spirit.

(Condensed from "What Is the Church, as It Was at the Beginning? and What Is Its Present
State?" in Bible Treasury, Vol. 6.)

We have a growing reverence for the aged. It ever was characteristic of Jewish religious Me to
honor the aged. It is a touching and beautiful sight to view one in the sunset of life eagerly waiting
to be called home to glory. How beautiful it is when we find our aged brothers and sisters
manifesting the fervent love of early days; the purpose of soul unchanged; and the calm unshaken
confidence_the growth of many years_reflected on the patient, if withered and suffering,
countenance.

There is a danger to which the Lord’s aged people are often subject. It is to rest on their oars, and
to seek to pass the evening of their days in a "Home of Rest," assuming that their work is done.
That was not the spirit of brave old Caleb who when 85 years old said, "As yet I am as strong this
day as I was in the day that Moses sent me .[forty years previously]; as my strength was then,
even so is my strength now for war, both to go out, and to come in" (Joshua 14:11). Caleb was
not tired of the conflict. He drew his spiritual strength from God:the source of his courage was
in God Himself.

The physical vigor of youth may give way, but there is a power outside the domain of nature:
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). O
beloved aged pilgrims, our rest is on the other side of the river; our home is on high. Nerve
yourselves to battle on, to serve till He come. A few more struggles and then eternal rest above!
Your active service in preaching the gospel, or ministering the Word, or visiting the sick may be
over. But has your service ceased? There yet remains the more spiritual work of intercession with
God for the Church and the world. Work on your knees_work which brings you face to face with
God Himself. The sanctuary is your sphere of service and that is as important as (if not more
important than) the public work of younger days.

For ourselves, and for all our beloved aged pilgrims, we long and pray for spiritual vigor.
(Where, of course, there is a collapse of physical powers, one can only wait in patience for the
joyful summons, "Come Home!") Press on with increasing desire. The manna is needed equally
for your closing hours as for the springtide of earlier days. Feed on Christ!

In the life of Caleb we find a beautiful picture of the perseverance of faith. His name is mentioned
for the first time in Numbers 13:6 where we read that Moses sent out from the desert of Paran a
man from each tribe to search out the land of Canaan. Among these twelve we find Caleb, the son
of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun.

From this moment the name of Caleb is found so closely linked with that of Joshua that one might
almost say they are inseparable (see Num. 14:30, 38; 26:65; 34:17-19; Deut. 1:36,38; Joshua
14:13). Together they searched the land; together they crossed the desert; together they entered
Canaan. We have in Joshua a figure of Christ, the Saviour Jesus, who brings His people into the
rest of the promised land; and Caleb walks in company with him. The great name of Joshua
overshadowed, so to speak, that of Caleb, and imprinted upon it its character. These two men had
but one thought, they had the same faith, confidence, and courage, the same starting point, the
same path, the same purpose of heart, the same goal. Is it so with us, dear readers? Are we so
associated with Christ that our name cannot be uttered without His, and that our very existence
owes its value to the fact that, by grace, we have been made companions of the Lord Jesus?

In Numbers 13 the twelve men sent by Moses, having reached Hebron, proceeded to Eshcol to
carry back from that spot the magnificent fruits which were to prove the beauty of the country.
But it was not, as one might have thought, Eshcol which arrested the gaze and captivated the heart
of Caleb. His faith reached on to something better. Hebron, whereon his feet had trodden, was
given to him (Joshua 14:9). From that moment its name was engraved on his heart during 45
years, until the day when he should appear before Joshua to claim "this mountain whereof the
Lord spake" as his everlasting possession.

This spot was not lacking in celebrity. To the flesh, in truth, it could not but inspire terror, for
the formidable Anakims dwelt there. But on the other hand, it was a place rich in memories for
this man of God. There Abraham chose his abode (Gen. 13:18); there he built an altar to Jehovah
and received the promise of God (Gen. 18:1). But more than this, Hebron was pre-eminently the
place of death. It was there that Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob were buried. Hebron was
indeed the place of the sepulcher, the scene of death, the end of man. What was there in it to
attract? Nothing for the natural man, everything for faith. There is one supreme spot where the
believer learns the end of himself:it is the cross of Christ.

Again, it was from Hebron that Joseph set forth in search of his brethren. Later it became a city
of refuge, and later still it was the starting point of David’s kingdom. Finally, it was there that all
the tribes of Israel acknowledged David as their king and came to do him homage.

Is it not a wondrous spot? What a succession of blessings it records! How Caleb prized this spot,
to the outward eye so unattractive. He desired it for his everlasting inheritance. Caleb’s faith laid
hold, from the very outset, on what Abraham in his faith had learned there:himself done with,
self set aside, old things passed away. And here we see a man setting out in dependence on God,
with no confidence in himself, and continuing in this blessed path until the end-the full enjoyment
of the promises_is reached in the place where man has come to his end.

There is another characteristic of this man of faith. Caleb realized his hope. He entered Canaan
first, not as a dweller, but as a visitor; but it was there, and not in the desert, that his course
began. He returned to the desert with an indelible impress on his heart of the reality and beauty
of the things which he had seen, and which during forty-five years formed the object of his hope.
It is the same with the Psalmist (Psalm 63:1,2), a man walking after the example of Caleb. He had
seen God in the sanctuary, and starting from there, he came down to the earth filled with the
glorious reality of those divine things which would be for the sustenance of his heart to the end
of the journey. A point that might be made in this connection is the following:to the soul which
is fed with the marrow and fatness of the sanctuary, the desert not only loses its attraction, but
assumes its true character of dearth and drought. Heaven becomes the measure of earth so that
things that are seen lose their apparent value and become emptiness and a barren waste.

Let us now return to that which is so prominent in Caleb’s character, his perseverance in the path
of faith. We see him first taking knowledge of the good land that God would give to His people,
and the divine comment on his history at this point is that he "wholly followed the Lord" (Num.
14:24; Deut. 1:36; Josh. 14:8,9). But the forty years of desert life had yet to be trodden, and he
courageously did it right on to the end, because he carried in his heart the remembrance of the
riches and the treasure of Canaan. To him the difficulties of the desert were nothing; he heeded
not the burning sands, the scorching sun, the weariness, or the thirst. Not for a moment did he
dream of seeking anything in the scene around him. His courage was sustained by a hope; and the
believer’s hope is not merely Canaan, that is to say, heaven, in a general way, but it is Christ
Himself.

But there is another aspect of Caleb’s perseverance:we see him taking possession of Canaan. Five
years had run their course during which the fight had continued, and then by his sword he gained
possession of his own particular portion, the mountain of which Jehovah had spoken. He entered
into his inheritance in spite of the formidable power of the enemy. But, like us, Caleb met in "him
who had the power of death" a vanquished enemy who has no power to intimidate us.

Caleb’s perseverance was crowned with success. He was the only one in Israel who seems to have
driven out all his enemies. What a lesson for us, beloved! Let us remember that Caleb’s taking
possession speaks to us of a present fact, and not only of future enjoyment. Have we persevered
in the conflict so as to enjoy now our privileges? May God give us, like him, purpose of heart in
the hope, the path, and the fight.

Let us consider one further characteristic of perseverance which is found at the close of our
chapter. Caleb says in verse 11:"As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses
sent me; as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to
come in." Caleb was 85 years old, but neither his great age nor the weary desert journey had
diminished in the smallest degree his strength. And why? Because he had no confidence in
himself. Hebron’s lesson had remained engraved on his heart. He says in verse 12:"If so be the
Lord will be with me." Do you think from this that he mistrusted the Lord? No, he mistrusted
himself_he realized that if there were any obstacle to the Lord’s being with him, it must proceed
from himself. We realize strength in proportion as we mistrust self. It is thus that we go from
strength to strength.

Caleb walked in the consciousness that his strength was in and with God. May it be the same with
us. And not only so, but may we live in the enjoyment of heavenly things, take part in the scene
of conflict, and run patiently and with unwearied feet the race which leads to the glory.

(From Meditations on the Book of Joshua.)

How many times during Bible studies, especially at conferences, have we heard some older
brother say, "I would like to give a word to the young people here today. ‘Resist the devil, flee
youthful lusts, beware of the world’" (or words to that effect). Or perhaps we have heard older
people say, "I certainly don’t think children and young people should watch television (or go to
movies, or whatever)," which might suggest that older people would not be harmed by such
things, or, "Children and young people should attend meetings regularly," as if it does not hurt
older ones to miss from time to time. (We realize that it may be difficult for the aged to attend
meetings because of infirmities, but their presence can be an inspiration to others.)

Please bear with me while I quote a few Scriptures.

"For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other
gods; and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father"
(1 Kings 11:4).

"And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord His God" (2 Chron. 14:2).
"In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah….
Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the
king’s house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria … saying, There is a league between me and
thee, as there was between my father and thy father; behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go,
break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me…. And at that time
Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the
king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria
escaped out of thine hand…. Herein thou hast done foolishly; therefore from henceforth thou shalt
have wars. Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage
with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time…. And Asa
in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding
great; yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians" (2 Chron. 16:1-12).

"Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem….
And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest….
Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then
the king hearkened unto them. And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served
groves and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass" (2 Chron.
24:1,2,17,18).

"Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in
Jerusalem…. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his
father Amaziah did…. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction; for he
transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon
the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of
the Lord, that were valiant men; and they withstood Uzziah the king…. Then Uzziah was wroth
. . . and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the

priests in the house of the Lord…. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death" (2
Chron. 26:3,4,16-21).

These Scriptures should be enough to convince us that even a person who starts out depending on
and living to please God may be led astray in later years if he forgets his dependence upon God
and allows those around him (the world) or his own sinful flesh to influence him. The flesh is still
present in older believers and will manifest itself if allowed. Satan is just as eager to influence
older Christians as younger ones, and the world can be alluring to older persons, especially those
who have not already found out that all to be found there is "vanity and vexation of spirit." And
now let me say a word to those not-so-young:Resist the devil, flee fleshly lusts, beware of the
world, for you are just as susceptible to all these things as are young people. Do not let your
testimony fail in later years as the kings mentioned above did, but grant that it might be said of
you, "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age" (Psalm 92:14).

Are the claims which we Christians make for ourselves as believers in Christ extravagant when
we compare them with our actual spiritual experiences? The bold claims that we are sons of God,
that we are risen with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places, that we are indwelt by the
Holy Spirit, that we are members of the Body of Christ and children of the new creation, are often
negated by our attitudes, our behavior, and, most of all, by our lack of fervor and by the absence
of a spirit of worship within us.

If someone were to point out the great disparity between our doctrinal beliefs and our lives, he
might be dismissed with the explanation that it is but the normal difference between our sure
standing and our variable state.

Extreme emphasis on dispensationalism has led many Christians to believe that whole sections of
the New Testament have little, if any, application to our lives today. These people usually cite
Paul’s epistles as the basis of their beliefs; yet those Christians who lay the greatest store by Paul
are often the least Pauline in spirit. There is a vast and important difference between a Pauline
creed and a Pauline life. Tens of thousands of believers who pride themselves on their
understanding of Romans and Ephesians cannot conceal the sharp spiritual contradiction that exists
between their hearts and the heart of Paul.

The difference may be stated this way:Paul was a seeker and a finder and a seeker still. They seek
and find and seek no more. After "accepting" Christ they tend to substitute logic for life and
doctrine for experience. For them the truth becomes a veil to hide the face of God; for Paul it was
a door into His very presence. Paul’s spirit was that of the loving explorer. He was a prospector
among the hills of God searching for the gold of personal spiritual acquaintance. Many today stand
by Paul’s doctrine who will not follow him in his passionate yearning for divine reality. Can these
be said to be Pauline in any but the most nominal sense?

With the words, "That I may know Him," Paul answered the whining claims of the flesh and raced
on toward perfection (Phil. 3). All gain he counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus the Lord, and if to know Him better meant suffering or even death, it was all one to
Paul. To him, conformity to Christ was cheap at any price. He panted after God as the hart pants
after the water brooks.

When the apostle cries, "That I may know Him," he uses the word know not in its intellectual
sense but in its experiential sense. We must look for the meaning, not to the mind, but to the
heart. Theological knowledge is knowledge about God. While this is indispensable it is not
sufficient. It bears the same relation to man’s spiritual need as a well does to the need of his
physical body. It is not the rock-lined pit for which the dusty traveler longs, but the sweet, cool
water that flows up from it. It is not intellectual knowledge about God that quenches man’s ancient
heart-thirst, but the very Person and Presence of God Himself. These come to us through Christian
doctrine, but they are more than doctrine. Christian truth is designed to lead us to God, not to
serve as a substitute for God.

Let us press on to enjoy in personal inward experience the exalted privileges that are ours in
Christ Jesus; let us have as our goal the matching of our state with our standing and of the
condition of our hearts with the truth known in our heads.

(Ed. note:The author is not denying that there will be a difference between the standing and state
of even the most godly Christians, but he is speaking out against the complacency which is content
with the difference and has little or no desire to have actual personal experience coincide with
promised blessing.)

The apostle says, "I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the
beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto
you, little children, because ye have known the Father" (1 John 2:13). It is not a question here of
our actual age and, of course, there is no question of the sexes involved. It is not a question
merely of being a man in Christ as though he is not referring to our sisters at all; but these three
terms, fathers, young men, children, are used to distinguish believers according to the measure
of their growth in grace. Who are fathers? They are those who for years have known the Lord and
walked with God, those who have grown old in the things of Christ. Unto them John says, "I write
unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning." It is quite possible to
have been a Christian many years, and yet not to be in this sense a father. There are many who
have been saved a great many years but are spiritually dwarfed because they give so little attention
to spiritual things, because they give so little time to the Word of God; they are so little exercised
in holy things, and know so little of the blessedness of prayer and communion with the Lord, that
they do not grow. But when the apostle speaks to the fathers, he is speaking to those who through
long years have availed themselves of their Christian privileges, they have learned to love the
Word of God, they have sought to walk with Christ, they have labored for the blessing of others,
and have learned by experience to know the blessed Lord in all His fulness. When John says, "Ye
have known Him that is from the beginning," it is not as though he said, "Ye have known
concerning Him,"or "known about Him," but "ye have known Him." They have lived in
fellowship with Him, they have walked with Him and talked with Him, and He has become dearer
and nearer and more real to them than any earthly friend. He draws very near to His own and
shows His hands and feet and says, "It is I; handle Me, and see." And He bids us remember that
it was for us He bore the wounds and endured the agony of the cross in order that we might
become His own. So, then, the fathers are those who have learned to know Him throughout the
years; they have learned to appreciate His love, and the world has lost its power over their souls
because Christ has filled the vision of the eyes of their hearts….

Beginning with verse 14 John goes on to give a word of encouragement, a word of warning, a
word of exhortation, to each of the classes, so he mentions them all again in order. To the fathers
he says, "I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the
beginning." He does not add anything to that; it is exactly what he said before. Why does he not
add anything? Because you cannot add anything to that. That is the climax of Christian
experience_"Ye have known Him that is from the beginning."

There are not many fathers. People may be very old in Christ and yet not be properly designated
fathers in this sense, for many very old in years are still very carnal in their experience and know
very little of true fellowship with Him. Paul earnestly prayed, "That I may know Him, and the
power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His
death" (Phil. 3:10). It is this that constitutes one a father in Christ. This is the fullest Christian
maturity, and this comes through a life of fellowship with Him who "is from the beginning."

This expression, "from the beginning," is not the same as, "in the beginning." You and I could
not know Him in the beginning; God the Father alone knew Him in the past eternity. "In the

beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). But
when we say, "from the beginning," that means from the time He became incarnate here on earth.
Now John says, "Ye have known Him that is from the beginning." Sweet to trace His toiling
footsteps as He walks the sands of earth, to see Him in His wonderful perfection down here, God
manifest in the flesh, and to know Him now as the One who passed through death, who was raised
by the glory of the Father, and has ascended to heaven, and sits exalted at God’s right hand, our
great High Priest, our Advocate. Does your soul long to know Him, do you seek to get better
acquainted with Him through the years? There is only one way that you will ever become a father
in Christ. There are a great many people quite clear as to certain great doctrines, very pronounced
as to where they stand on the fundamental and modernistic controversy, and they have very rigid
ideas as to how the people of God should meet together; and yet there is one thing very evident,
they do not know Christ in this intimate relationship that is indicated here.

How do you get to know a person? By living with him day by day. How do you get to know
Christ? By living in intimate fellowship with Him throughout the days and years. You know Him
as you look up to Him through the clouds of sorrow and He ministers so graciously to your heart.
You know Him when in the midst of the joys of life; you put Christ first and find your chief joy
and gladness in Him. To know Him! This is to be a father in Christ. He does not add a thing to
that, not a word of exhortation. Why? Because what could be added? Think of going to one to
whom Christ is everything, and saying, "My brother, let me give you a kindly word of warning,
a word of admonition:try to be very careful that you do not drift off into the ways of the world."
"Oh," he would say, "the world has lost its charm for me since Christ has filled the vision of my
soul." When Christ becomes the one Object of the heart, nothing more can be added to that. That
is what delivers from the power of the world, that is what saves from carnality, that is what keeps
from jealousy and envy and everything else of the flesh. When Christ is all in all these things will
not be.

(From Addresses on the Epistles of John. )

It is happy and encouraging to the soul to ever consider in living faith and recollection that it is
the very same Jesus who was here on earth that is now in heaven, and whom we are to know
throughout eternity. When we keep this in memory, every passage of His life here will be
introduced afresh to us, and we shall feel and own that we have in the gospels a more wonderful
portion on which to meditate than we had ever realized.

In the days of His sojourn among us everything was a reality to Him; all was living and personal.
He did more than touch the surface. When He healed a wound or removed a sorrow, He in a way
felt it. "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matthew 8:17). Not only were His
joys real, His sorrows real, His fears and disappointments, and the like, real, but He entered into
every occasion in all its character. He knew the unuttered language of that needy soul that touched
Him in the crowd, and felt that touch in all its meaning. He understood the hasty step of
Zacchaeus as he climbed the sycamore tree, and the thoughtfulness of Nathanael as he sat under
the fig tree. He knew the love as well as the self-confidence which drew Peter from the ship to
the water.

Surely, then, as we read the wondrous story of Christ as He walked here below, and as we bear
in mind that this same person is now in heaven, our affections ought to be drawn out after
Himself. How edifying it would be if we could be acquainting ourselves more really with a living,
personal Jesus! In these times of ours, beloved, there may be a tendency to forget His Person or
Himself in the common testimony that is now borne so extensively to His work. The region of
doctrine may be surveyed as with a measuring line and a level, instead of being eyed, with an
admiring, worshiping heart, as the place of the glories of the Son of God. And yet it is this He
prizes in us. He has made us personally His objects; and He looks for us to make Him ours.

I ask myself, Is not this, in a sense, the very topmost stone? Is not this personal desire of Christ
toward us chief in the ways of His grace? Election, predestination, pardon, adoption, glory, and
the kingdom_are they not only crowned by this desire of Christ toward us, this making of us an
object to Himself? Surely it crowns all; surely it is the topmost stone; lying above and beyond all;
fuller and richer and higher than any. Adoption and glory (that is, welcome into the family and
participation in the kingdom) would be defective were there not also this mystery_the Son of God
has found in us an object of desire. It assumes all the other works and counsels in the history of
grace, and is thus beyond them all.

The Spirit delights to tell of the work of Christ, and to bear it in its preciousness and sufficiency
to the heart and conscience. But still the work of the Lord Jesus Christ may be the great subject,
where He Himself is but a faint object; and the soul will thus be a great loser.

Sadly altered was the poor, worn-out body, pillowed in an easy chair, but his spirit rejoicing in
his much-loved Lord. He said, "Two months ago, when I felt this sickness was unto death, I asked
Him to reveal Himself to me in increased loveliness and nearness. He did; He filled me with
Himself_I know the blood has done its blessed, blessed work for my soul; it is His love, His
beauty, His perfection, that fills my heart and vision."

He then spoke of feeling a little better that day. "But ah! that is no pleasure to me." Then, clasping
his dear, thin hands together, he said, while tears flowed down his face, "My precious Lord Jesus,
Thou knowest how fully I can say with Paul, To depart and be with Thee is far better! Oh, how
far better! I do long for it! They come and talk to me of a crown of glory_I bid them cease; of
the glory of heaven_I bid them stop. I am not wanting crowns_I have HIMSELF! HIMSELF!
I am going to be with HIMSELF! Ah! with the Man of Sychar (John 4); with Him who stayed to
call Zacchaeus; with the Man of the eighth of John; with the Man who hung upon the cross; with
the Man who died! Oh to be with Him before the glories, the crowns, or the kingdom appear! It
is wonderful! wonderful! with the Man of Sychar alone; with the Man of the gate of the city of
Nain (Luke 7); and I am going to be with Him for ever _to exchange this sad, sad scene, which
cast Him out, for His presence!"

The scriptural account of our Lord’s early life is relatively brief compared to the amount of space
devoted to His three years of public ministry and His death and resurrection. But even the little
which we do have of our Lord’s early life is framed in some fine surroundings, as "apples of gold
in pictures of silver." The Scriptures foretell His birth minutely, an angel heralds it, a multitude
of the heavenly host announces it, shepherds leave their toil and watching to confirm the good
news, wise men travel far in search of Him, a king and his courtiers are troubled on account of
Him, a holy woman gives thanks because of Him, and old Simeon has a revelation that He will
be spared to see Him before he dies.

Who was this old Simeon?

1. He was "just." He was one who was "in all things willing to live honestly," one whose
righteousness exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees, for it was before God.

2. He was "devout." He had God ever in view. He remembered, served, and worshiped Him. He
prayed, meditated, and praised God and delighted in His ways and in His things.

3. He was "waiting for the consolation of Israel." He knew that all was out of sorts, not well with
his people. It was an evil day and he hoped in God and waited for His consolation. He expected
a deliverer.

4. "The Holy Ghost was upon him." He was under His influence, led by Him. But he also had a
revelation that more was in store for him. It was that he should see the Lord’s Christ. One day it
was made good to him. He came into the temple and there in his very arms was placed the infant
Saviour. He was not staggered at the astounding fact. He embraced Him and poured out his soul
in thankful praise:"Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word;
for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel" (Luke 2:25-35).

It has been beautifully said of this holy event, "The death that glorifies God has a song on the lips,
Christ in the arms, and heaven in the eye." May it be so with us!

"His banner over me was love" (Song of Solomon 2:4).

"By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshiped, leaning
upon the top of his staff" (Hebrews 11:21).

Jacob was a man of faith. It did not look like it when he clothed himself with his brother’s
raiment, and put on the hairy skin of a kid in order that his father might think he was Esau. Yet
there was an element of faith in it, just as we have seen there was faith in Sarah even when she
laughed so incredulously. We can see that Jacob prized the blessing, as he had prized the
birthright. He had not faith enough to count upon God to make good the blessing to him apart
from himself. Because of his artifice to secure the blessing which he prized, he became a wanderer
from home, spending the best of his life out of the land of Canaan. The same deception he himself
had practiced on his brother and father was practiced upon him by Laban as to the wife he had
bargained for; it was God’s governmental retribution which Jacob could not fail to realize. He was
deceived, too, by his own children as to their awful sin in the matter of Joseph.

In all the life of Jacob, where shall we glean an example of faith that we can follow? The vision
of those opened heavens and God’s promise to him at Bethel was pure mercy. His little schemes
to get the wealth of Laban did not savor of faith surely, nor his contrivances to meet his brother
Esau, nor his building in Shechem after his return to Canaan. But now we see him at last, his
experiences over, an old man, a weary pilgrim, leaning upon the top of his staff. For how many
of us does it take a lifetime to learn to lean!

Why should not the brightness, the vigor of youth be accompanied with the simplicity of faith that
absolutely leans upon the arm of God? Jacob was not a worshiper at Bethel when he awoke and
said, "How dreadful is this place!" Nor at Jabbok when he was struggling with the angel. But here
at last he had learned to trust and to worship.

(From Lectures on the Epistle to the Hebrews.)

FRAGMENT
Not at death I shrink nor falter,
For my Saviour saves me now;
But to meet Him empty-handed,
Thought of this now clouds my brow.

Oh, ye saints, arouse, be earnest;
Up and work, while yet ’tis day,
Ere the night of death o’ertakes you;
Work for Christ while yet you may.

The Reign of Sin

We now come to a further exhortation:"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye
should obey it in the lusts thereof" (verse 12). The truth underlying this command is that in our
natural state the inward evil principle lords it over us completely. The whole person is carried
away by selfish pursuits and pleasures, and from this bondage the gospel delivers us, bringing us
under a new Master, Jesus the Lord.

To Him we are called to yield ourselves as those who are alive from the dead. We are not free
agents in the sense of being "our own," but we are His who died for us and rose again. We cannot
plan to serve the Lord today or tomorrow as it may suit us. In such matters self has no right to
rule or to decide. We are delivered from its reign, and Christian service is but to give Christ His
own.

Yielding Ourselves and Our Members

From verse 13 we gather that there are two divisions in the act of surrender. The act is to apply
to the person as a whole, and to the various separate powers he possesses. "Neither yield ye your
members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that
are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

We have then to present self, that is, to present the entire being, spirit, soul, and body. This we
offer to Him as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, our reasonable service. The whole entity is
Hi&, and we "yield ourselves to God as those that are alive from the dead."

This act may be called consecration or dedication, or whatever you please. But in fact it
constitutes the heart’s response to the living Lord from the initial stage of its history. Saul of
Tarsus from the dust said, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" In self-abnegation he placed
himself unreservedly at the Master’s disposal. This surrender was, of course, in principle at first,
but he followed on in that attitude of heart, schooling and educating himself physically and
morally to do the will of God in all things, all his members subjugated and working together
harmoniously to this common end.

Justification of Life

The apostle brings in practical righteousness as the outcome of such service as this, "Know ye not
that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether
of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" "Being then made free from sin ye became
the servants of righteousness." "Now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."

In the previous chapters of this Epistle the apostle treats of that judicial righteousness which we
receive through faith. But the accompanying effect upon the believer is to make his conduct
righteous also. Righteous actions or "works" are the evidence of inward faith. So James instructs

us. He says, "Faith without works is dead," and he refers to the case of Abraham. "Was not
Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" (James
2:20,21).

Now the patriarch believed God some forty years before the sacrifice of Isaac. It was a settled
thing between God and him. God promised; Abraham believed God; and He counted it to him for
righteousness (Gen. 15:6). But this righteousness of faith was to be demonstrated before men, and
on Mount Moriah Abraham’s life was justified by his actions.

Fruit unto Holiness

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness, and the end everlasting life" (verse 22). Holiness implies separation to the service of
God. The vessels of the tabernacle and of the temple were holy, for they were used exclusively
in the worship of Jehovah. When Belshazzar used them at his revels, the judgment of God fell
upon the impious king.

Believers are holy vessels belonging to God, and placed here in the world for His service. Filled
with Christ, what use may we not be to thirsty souls? The result of our yielding ourselves up as
bondslaves to God will be "fruit unto holiness."

It involves an error to think of holiness only from its negative side; for it implies much more than
the absence of sin. Consideration of this aspect alone leads to a morbid state in which there is
often a long and unavailing struggle to attain to this condition. The whole truth is that holiness is
positive as well as negative. It expresses itself in an absolute devotion to God. The holy are His
instruments. When God takes hold of a man, the divine touch makes him holy.

We are therefore to yield ourselves to God as those that are alive to Him, not keeping back a part
like Ananias and Sapphira, whose devotion was a pretense and abomination to God. Such fruit was
not unto holiness.

Sin’s Wages and God’s Gift

The apostle concludes this section with the weighty declaration, "The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (verse 23). This is one of the few
instances of the mention of eternal life in the writings of Paul. In John the subject abounds both
in his Gospel and in his Epistles. The two apostles, however, are in no sense in opposition to one
another, but were inspired to record different views of the same blessing of God for man through
His grace.

Paul shows us eternal life in its activities in the justified person_the new life which is in a risen
Saviour. Instead of corruption and death which are the wages of a life of sin, God bestows eternal
life through Jesus Christ. Through the grace of God, we are justified by faith, for Jesus the Lord
was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification; and that great sacrifice made
way for us to be delivered from the bondage in which we were once held to the evil inclinations

of our nature.

This then is the new life which God gives. He has made us free to live to Him and to serve Him
in the name of Jesus Christ.

(From Bible Treasury, Vol. 9N.)

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:2).

It is essential for the true character of our path as Christians that we should lay hold of what this
obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ was. The character of Christ’s obedience was different from
legal obedience. If my child wants to do something, and I forbid it, and the child promptly obeys,
I speak of its ready obedience. Christ never obeyed in this way; He never had a desire checked
by an imposed law. It was never needed to say to Him, "Thou shalt not," when He willed to do
something. He acted because the Father willed it. That was His motive, the only cause of His
acting. He lived by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. When there was none,
He had nothing to do. Hence the will of God, whatever it was, was His rule.

This is the true character of the obedience of Jesus Christ and of our obedience as Christians_that
the will of God is the reason, the motive, for doing a thing. We are sanctified to the obedience of
Jesus Christ, to obey as He obeyed. When Satan came and said to Him, "Command that these
stones be made bread" (Matt. 4:3), He answers, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word … of God" (verse 4). His actual Me, as carried out in conduct, flowed from the Word of
God, which was His motive for doing it; if He had not that, He had no motive. If I have no motive
but, my Father’s will, how astonishingly it simplifies everything! If you never thought of doing
a thing unless it was God’s positive will that you should do it, surely three-quarters of your
questions and perplexities would at once disappear! This is the practical truth as to ourselves; yet
we clearly see that such was the obedience of Christ.

This, too, is the principle of real godliness, because it keeps us in constant dependence upon God,
and constant reference to God. It is an amazing comfort for my soul to think that there is not a
single thing all through my Me in which God as my Father has not a positive will about me to
direct me; that there is not a step from the moment I am born (though while we are unconverted
we understand nothing about it) in which there is not a positive path or will of God to direct me
here. I may forget it and fail, but we have in the Word and will of God that which keeps the soul,
not in a constant struggle against one thing and another, but in the quiet consciousness that the
grace of God has provided for everything_that I do not take a step that His love has not provided
for. It keeps the soul in the sweet sense of divine favor and in dependence upon God, so that like
David we can say, "Thy right hand upholdeth me." Moses does not say, "Show me a way through
the wilderness," but "Show me now thy way" (Exod. 33:13). A man’s ways reveal what he is;
Gods way shows what He is.

In its path the heart gets separated more and more intelligently to God, and gets to understand
what God is. If I know that God likes this and likes that along my path, it is because I know what
He is; and besides its being the right path and causing us thus to grow in intelligent holiness of
life, there is godliness in it too. The constant referring of the heart affectionately to God is real
godliness and we have to look for that. We have it perfectly in our Lord:"I knew," He says, "that
Thou hearest Me always" (John 11:42). There is the confidence of power and reference to God
with confiding affection. If I know that it is His path of goodness, His will that is the source of

everything to me, there is then the cultivation of a life consistent in its ways with God; communion
is uninterrupted because the Spirit is not grieved. This is the obedience of Jesus Christ, to which
we are set apart.

(From "The Path and Character of the Christian," in Collected Writings , Vol. 16.)

If a child habitually neglected its father and did not take the trouble of knowing his mind and will,
it is easy to foresee that when a difficulty presented itself this child would not be in circumstances
to understand what would please its parent. There are certain things which God leaves in
generalities in order that the state of the individual’s soul may be proved. People would like a
convenient and comfortable means of knowing God’s will; but there exists no means of
ascertaining it without reference to the state of our own soul.

We sometimes seek God’s will, desiring to know how to act in circumstances in which His only
will is that we should not be found in them at all. If conscience were really in activity, its first
effect would be to make us leave those circumstances. It is our own will which has set us there,
and we should like nevertheless to enjoy the comfort of being guided of God in a path which we
ourselves have chosen. Such is a very common case.

Be assured that if we are near enough to God, we shall not be at a loss to know His will. In a long
and active life it may happen that God, in His love, may not always at once reveal His will to us.
He does this that we may feel our dependence, particularly when we have a tendency to act
according to our own will. However, "if . . . thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of
light" (Matt. 6:22); from this it is certain that if the whole body is not full of light, the eye is not
single. You will say, That is poor consolation. I answer it is rich consolation for those whose sole
desire is to have the eye single and to walk with God.

"If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a
man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him" (John 11:9,10). It is always
the same principle. "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of
life" (John 8:12). You cannot exempt yourself from this moral law of Christianity. "For this cause
we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be
filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the
knowledge of God" (Col. 1:9,10). The mutual connection of these things is of immense importance
for the soul. The Lord must be known intimately if one would walk in a way worthy of Him; and
it is thus that we grow in the knowledge of God’s will. "And this I pray, that your love may
abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are
excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ" (Phil. 1:9,10). Finally,
it is written that the spiritual man "judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man" (1 Cor.
2:15).

It is then the purpose of God, and a precious purpose, that we should be able to discern His will
only according to our own spiritual state. Our business is to keep close to Him. God would not
be good to us if He permitted us to discover His will without that. It might be convenient just to
have a director of consciences; we should thus be spared the discovery and the chastisement of
our moral condition. Thus, if you seek how you may discover the will of God without that, you
are seeking evil; and this is what we see every day. One Christian is in doubt, in perplexity;
another, more spiritual, sees as clear as the day, sees no difficulty, and ends by understanding that

it lies only in the other’s state of soul. "He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar
off" (2 Peter 1:9).

As regards circumstances, I believe that it is possible_ though not preferable_for a person to be
guided by them. This is what is meant by being "held in with bit and bridle" (Psalm 32:9).
However, the promise and privilege of him who has faith is, "I will instruct thee and teach thee
in the way which thou shalt go:I will guide thee with Mine eye" (verse 8). God who is faithful
has given the promise of directing us thus_near enough to God to understand by a single glance
from Him. He warns us not to be as the horse and the mule which have no understanding of the
will, thoughts, or desires of their master. It is needful to hold them in with bit and bridle.
Doubtless even that is better than to stumble, fall, and run counter to Him who holds us in; but
it is a sad state, and such it is to be guided by circumstances. Undoubtedly it is merciful on God’s
part so to act, but very sad on ours.

There must now be drawn a distinction between judging what one has to do in certain
circumstances, and being guided by them. He who allows himself to be guided by them always
acts in the dark as to knowing the will of God. There is absolutely nothing moral in it; it is an
external force that constrains. Now it is very possible that I may have no judgment beforehand of
what I shall do:I know not what circumstances may arise, and consequently I can make no
resolutions. But the instant the circumstances are there, I judge with a full and divine conviction
what is the path of God’s will and of the Spirit’s intention and power. That demands the highest
degree of spirituality. It is not to be directed by circumstances, but to be directed by God in them,
being near enough to God to be able to judge immediately what one ought to do as soon as the
circumstances are there.

As to impressions, God can suggest them, and it is certain that in fact He does suggest a thing to
the mind; but in that case the propriety of the thing and its moral character will be as clear as the
sun at noonday. In prayer God can remove from the heart certain carnal influences, which, being
destroyed, leave room for certain other spiritual influences taking all their place in the soul. Thus
He makes us feel the importance of some duty which perhaps had been entirely obscured by
preoccupation caused by some desired object. I do not doubt that God often makes impressions
on our minds when we walk with Him and listen to His voice.

Another important point which must be made is that a person should never act without knowing
the will of God. The will of God ought to be the motive as well as the rule of our conduct; and
until His will is in activity, there is an absence of any true motive for ours. If you act in ignorance
in this respect, you are at the mercy of circumstances. It is true that God may turn all to the good
of His children; but why act when we are ignorant what His will is? Is the necessity of acting
always so extremely pressing?

On the other hand, if I do something with the full certainty that I am doing the will of God, it is
clear that an obstacle is no more than a test of my faith, and it ought not to stop me. It stops us
perhaps through our lack of faith; because, if we do not walk sufficiently near to God in the sense
of our nothingness, we shall lack faith to accomplish what we have faith enough to discern. When
we are doing our own will or are negligent in our walk, God in His mercy may warn us by a

hindrance which arrests us if we pay attention to it. God may permit, where there is much activity
and labor, that Satan should raise up hindrances, in order that we may be kept in dependence on
the Lord.

Now let us examine whether Scripture does not present some principle suitable to direct us. Here
evidently spirituality is the essential thing_is everything. The rule that we should do what Jesus
would have done in such and such a circumstance is excellent, where and when it can be applied.
But are we often in the circumstances where the Lord was found?

Next, it is often useful to ask myself whence comes such a desire of mine, or such a thought of
doing this or that. I have found that this alone decides more than half of the difficulties that
Christians meet with. If a thought comes from God and not from the flesh, then we have only to
address ourselves to God as to the manner and means of executing it, and we shall soon be
directed.

I have communicated to you on this subject all that my mind can furnish you with at this moment.
For the rest, remember only that the wisdom of God conducts us in the way of God’s will:if our
own will is in activity, God cannot bend to that. That is the essential thing to discover. It is the
secret of the life of Christ.

(From Collected Writings, Vol. 16.)

What is the scope of the will of God? How can we know what the Lord’s own will is? How are
we to be maintained in this pathway? These questions arise from a genuine desire to know how
to put into practice some of the great truths of Scripture. We learn from many passages in the New
Testament that the one great aim and object of our Eves should be to do the will of God.

The scope of God’s will reaches up to the highest point of His purposes in Christ, and down to
the smallest detail of our lives. "It begins in heaven and reaches down to the kitchen," according
to Spurgeon. In the first we are lifted up to Christ where He is; in the second He is brought down
to us where we are. The first sets forth the favor in which we are in Christ before God; the
second, the grace that there is for us in Christ for all the vicissitudes of the life of faith and
obedience below. It is Christ either way; we in Him on the one hand, He for us and in us on the
other. We are instructed as to the first in the early or doctrinal parts of such Epistles as those to
the Ephesians and Colossians; as to the latter, in the practical parts of these and other Epistles.
Indeed, we cannot leave out any part of the Word if we are to stand perfect and complete in all
the will of God.

But the exercises that lead to our questions Me more on the side of our daily life, and our desire
to please God in all things and to know His will in matters about which the Word gives no special
direction. "To begin well is half the battle," is an old saying, and it is certainly that and more in
this matter. To begin with the desire to do His will is to begin well. How often we wish that the
thing that we would like was His will for us. Our desire is for our own will, and we pray, perhaps
eagerly and often, that it might be so. A little girl one night added to her usual prayer, "And
please, God, make Manchester the chief city in Great Britain." "Whatever made you pray like
that?" asked her mother. "I said it was in my exam paper today," answered the tearful and
doubtful little maid, "and I want it to be." Yes, often we want a thing to be, and want it so
passionately that we are not in a fit state of mind and heart to learn what the will of God is about
it.

"If any man will do His will he shall know . . ." There we must begin; and we do begin there
when we understand that God’s will for us in everything springs from His great love; that it is not
against us at any point, but is against everything that would be harmful to us. This is proved in
the Epistle to the Romans. There we are able to trace out all the way that God has taken to bless
us, and we have to exclaim at the end of the review, God is "for us; who can be against us? He
that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:31,32). Can we trust a love like that? a love that would stop
at nothing when our good was in view? Then let us trust it fully and say, The will of God is
"good, and acceptable, and perfect" (Romans 12:2). But to prove it there must be subjection to
God. But is subjection difficult when it is perfect love that asks for it? "Yield yourselves unto
God, as those that are alive from the dead" (Romans 6:13) is such a reasonable exhortation that
the heart that knows His love responds to it naturally and at once.

Granted then the willing mind to be subject to God, and that confidence of heart that trusts Him
and leaves the consequences with Him, since He sees the end from the beginning and cares for

us with a Father’s love and care, the next thing needed is nearness to Himself. If we walk with
God as Enoch and Noah and Abraham did, we shall become conversant with His will even when
it has not been definitely expressed. We can understand this in natural things. I knew a boy who
when asked to do certain things said, "No, my father would not wish me to do that." Yet his father
had expressed no will as to the matter at all. The lad knew his father’s thoughts through
companionship with him and did not require a definite word on the matter.

Psalm 32:8,9 shows us God’s way of leading us. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way
which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with Mine eye." But such guidance calls for nearness to God
and that sensitiveness of soul that responds to His instruction. If we are not near Him we are like
the horse and the mule that do not know their owner’s will except by the check and pull of the bit
and bridle. This life of nearness to God and obedience to His will was perfectly portrayed for us
in the Lord’s life on earth. He is our pattern.

We are maintained in this path by the grace and company of the Lord Himself, and apart from
Him we could not tread it. It is the path for those who are alive from the dead, and as soon as we
step into it we find that we have a traveling companion. He hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5). "Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm
23:4). Cultivate the thought of the Lord as your traveling companion in the path of faith and
obedience to God’s will, and the sufficiency of His grace for you in it will not be a doctrine only
but a blessed experience. He comes down to us in all the sufficiency of His grace to keep us from
stumbling in the path of God’s will, and at the end of it He will present us faultless before the
presence of His glory with exceeding joy, and to Him be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and forever. Amen.

(From Help and Food, Vol. 50.)

Scripture is clear on the point that it is not only possible for man to learn the will of God, but it
is His desire for us not only to learn but to do His will (see Rom. 12:2; Eph. 5:17; Col. 1:9; 4:12;
Heb. 13:21). It was this-the desire to do God’s will_that ever characterized the Lord Jesus in His
sojourn on earth (Matt. 26:42; John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; Heb. 10:7,9).

What, then, is the will of God? We might begin by saying that it is in large measure revealed to
us in His Word. We are specifically told that it is God’s will for "all men to be saved, and to come
unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4); that none "should perish, but that all should come
to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9); that every one that "believeth on Him may have everlasting life" (John
6:39,40); that believers should be brought into relationship with Himself as sons (Eph. 1:5); that
we "should abstain from fornication" (1 Thess. 4:3); that we should be subject "to every ordinance
of man" (1 Pet. 2:13); and that we should give thanks in everything (1 Thess. 5:18). Throughout
Scripture we find commandments given by God to His people; we find statements of those things
with which God is well pleased; and we find many details of the Me of One who always did the
will of His Father. Thus, an excellent and necessary foundation for finding the will of God is
obtained by becoming thoroughly familiar with God’s revealed Word through daily reading,
memorizing, meditating, and making it our own through practicing it in our daily lives. Many
questions as to God’s will for our lives would disappear if we took more pains to become
acquainted with the written Word.

However, we all come to face decisions for which the Bible does not give definite instruction. For
example, (a) whom does the Lord want me to marry? (b) where should I go to college and what
course of study should I take up? (c) should we go to the mountains or to the seashore for our
vacation this year? A general principle for such situations, which has been mentioned once and
again in the preceding articles and which we repeat here for emphasis, is that we must be emptied
of our own desires and preferences before we can begin to look for God to reveal His will for us.
Even in matters where a clue may be found in the Bible as to God’s will for a given situation or
decision, if we turn to the Bible with our own desires in the forefront, we will most likely end up
doing what we wanted to do in the first place, and will have twisted Scripture to fit our
preconceived notions.

Along with emptying ourselves of our own will and preferences, we must take care not to overly
restrict our possible alternatives. Consider again the three questions asked at the beginning of the
previous paragraph. The first one (a) should only be asked in conjunction with the more basic
question, Is it God’s will for me to marry at all? (see 1 Cor. 7:25-40). Similarly, a more basic
question to (b) would be, Is it God’s will for me to go to college in the first place? And finally,
even though we may have spent our vacations either in the mountains or at the seacoast for the
past twenty years, we need to determine, on our knees, whether the Lord wants us to go to either
place; perhaps to attend a Bible Conference or to conduct a vacation Bible School or to visit shut-
ins is His will for our next vacation. Suppose, now, that we are truly emptied of our own will and
preferences. How, in matters other than those specifically addressed in God’s Word, are we to
recognize God’s will for us? It is impossible to give a definite formula as to this since God uses
a variety of means of communicating His mind to us, and the means He uses in communicating

to one person may differ from those He uses for another. It has been pointed out in preceding
articles in this issue that these various means include God’s Word, impressions He puts in our
minds, circumstances, and comments, advice, and counsel given by other persons. Let us rest
assured that if we are desirous of knowing and doing God’s will and are in a proper spiritual state
(for example, emptied of our own will, having a spirit of self-judgment, and obedient to the light
and direction which God has given us thus far), we shall surely recognize God’s will for our lives.

With regard to circumstances, again it must be emphasized that while God may on occasion use
circumstances to show clearly His mind when our own will is absent, it was never intended that
we should put ourselves at the mercy of circumstances (Psa. 32:9). A typical example of this
would be to decide, without first conferring with the Lord, to go on a picnic or to a ball game or
whatever, and then as an afterthought to ask the Lord to prevent us by sending bad weather if it
is not His will that we should go. While the Lord may, graciously, prevent us from going our own
way at times, let us not have the presumption to assume that He will always do so. The Lord
wants us to learn to look to Him for counsel before we make up our own mind.

We need likewise to be cautioned against relying on circumstances in the matter of Biblical
doctrines. I once met a believer who had formed a very strong opinion on a certain doctrinal
point, and justified his position by saying that he had asked the Lord to strike him sick if he was
wrong on that point. Since the Lord had not done so, he took this as conclusive evidence that he
had to be right. Thus he had closed his mind to any possibility of receiving further spiritual light
on the subject.

This leads us, finally, to the matter of "putting out the fleece" to test whether one has the mind
of the Lord (see Judges 6:36-40). It is important to notice that prior to the test involving the
fleece, Gideon had received a clear, often repeated, definite message from the Lord as to what he
was to do (verses 11-21). If he had had more faith he would not have needed confirmation with
the fleece. Yet, God honored Gideon’s desire to know for certain whether he had the mind of the
Lord and thus He responded in a confirmatory way to Gideon’s tests.

The principle for us would seem to be that God encourages our seeking to confirm what we feel
to be His messages to us in the first place. It has been well stated by another:"The boldness of
faith, even when it seems to need confirmatory signs, never offends our gracious God" (S. Ridout
in Lectures on the Book of Judges). In the present day, the Lord may not so much use miraculous
signs as with Gideon to confirm His will, but perhaps more He uses the power of the Holy Spirit
indwelling us to burden our hearts and minds as to what He would have us to do.

May the Lord grant us an increasing desire to know and to do His will in every aspect of our
lives.