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.