Solemnly and slowly, with his index finger extended, Napoleon Bonaparte outlined a great stretch of country on a map of the world. "There," he growled, "is a sleeping giant. Let him sleep! If he wakes up, he will shake the world." That sleeping giant was China. Today, Bonaparte's prophecy of some one hundred and fifty years ago makes sense.
Today lucifer is probably surveying the church just as Bonaparte did China. One can almost behold the fear in his eyes as he thinks of the Church's unmeasured potential and growls, "Let the Church sleep! If she wakes, she will shake the world." Is not the Church the sleeping giant of today?
Some years ago the newspaper headlines carried the story of a young Chinese student who "flunked" his exams here in America. So humiliated was he and so withered by anticipated scorn that for three years the youth hid in the belfry of a church and became skin and bones. Because of his shame, he froze in winter and blistered in summer under that church's thin roof. As today's Church of Jesus Christ thinks about the day of reckoning that is surely coming, oh that a holy fear would come upon her (even if it drives her to extremes) in order to arouse her from her present paralysis!
Consider Samson's fall. He didn't get drunk; he didn't commit murder; he didn't steal. Samson fell simply because he succumbed to the natural, and fell asleep. That one small act put him into captivity, made a false god popular, and scattered the forces of the true and living God.
If even yet you feel a hangover of the old interpretation that the Samson of the Bible is a distant relative of Hercules or Atlas (famed in mythology for carrying the world on his back), then think again. Samson was no human monstrosity. He was no super-edition of a Goliath. If Samson had been a colossus, then why did Delilah ask the question, "Wherein lieth thy great strength?"
Let the final word be from the Word of God itself, for in telling the story of men mighty in faith, the writer of Hebrews says: Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, ... who through faith ... stopped the mouths of lions" (Hebrews 11:32-33). Only two men in Scripture stopped the mouths of lions - Daniel and Samson. But no giant could single handedly, as Samson, "put to flight the armies of the aliens," or toy with opposing armies. Here, Samson slays a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass; there, he kills another thirty men. Here, he takes the gates of Gaza for a ride; there, he tears a lion like paper. To add insult to injury, the Spirit's comment is "he had nothing in his hand."
Note well, yea, read for yourself the whole story of the secret of this mighty exploiter, this more-than-conquering believer: "The Spirit of the Lord rested mightily upon him." Everything in the story adds up to this staggering fact: Supernatural power was upon Samson.
~Leonard Ravenhill~
(continued with # 2)
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Into the Heart and Mind of God # 11
Oneness with God in the Heavenly Nature of Everything (continued)
Hebrews 11:39; 12:2)
The Bible teaches us that people of the Old Testament went through experiences of which they never understood the full meaning. The real meaning was hidden from their eyes. All that they knew was that they were under the hand of God, and that there was something more in their experiences of His dealings with them than they knew.
The Bible also teaches that that meaning, which was hidden from them, has been revealed to us in this present dispensation. We have the light on their experiences which they did not possess. The things which happened to them, and the ways in which they were led, had a spiritual meaning which waited for our time for its unveiling, so that we know the meaning of them while they did not. In the light which has now come to us we are able to see the meaning of their lives and to read the Old Testament in a new way.
So in our consideration of the life of Abraham we are able to see that the events in his life represent something for us. "These all, having had witness born to them through their faith, received not the promise, God having provided (or foreseen) some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made complete." There was something incomplete about their experience, and we have got that something.
Thus we come back to consider these steps in the life of Abraham, steps in a spiritual pilgrimage which begins in the world and ends in the heart of God. In our last meditation we began to consider the third step, that is, oneness with God in the heavenly nature of things, and we considered it from the positive standpoint, how that God had done a deep thing in Abraham which made it impossible for him to be satisfied with anything in this world. As the writer of Hebrews says: "They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly" (Hebrews 11:16).
Now we are going to look at this from what we may call the negative standpoint, though that is only a way of speaking, for there is nothing negative about God's dealings with His people. What I mean is this: that this great reality of the heavenly nature of things was made known to Abraham by his mistakes, and this is one of the necessary methods of God with us. God would not let us make mistakes if we were different people from what we are, but He knows quite well that most of His children will never learn anything except by making mistakes. You may tell a little child a hundred times that it will get burned if it puts its finger in the fire, but most children will not believe that until they have tried it, and then they know by experience what they cannot know by theory - they know in life what they could not learn by doctrine.
Some years ago I went to a great engineering factory, and there I saw some melting steel. I watched them pouring the molten steel into vessels, and we all had to stand well away. Even the hot air round about was cold to that steel, so that as it came out into the air it just flew out all over the place. I said to one of the men who was pouring out the steel: "Do you know that it is said that if you put your arm into cold water and then put it into that steel, you would not feel it?" He replied: "I have been doing that for years, but if you like to try it you can." Theory or no theory, I know all about molten steel, and I am not engaging in any experiments!
The Lord knows quite well that you and I will never really learn unless we make mistakes. We do not enjoy pointing out the mistakes of great servants of God, but it is impressive that He has had these things written in His Word, and the Scripture says: "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning" (Romans 15:4), and the mistakes are included in the "things written aforetime". Thus they were written for our learning.
Great as this man Abraham was, he made three big mistakes in his life, and we only take note of them in order that we may learn not to make those mistakes.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 12)
Hebrews 11:39; 12:2)
The Bible teaches us that people of the Old Testament went through experiences of which they never understood the full meaning. The real meaning was hidden from their eyes. All that they knew was that they were under the hand of God, and that there was something more in their experiences of His dealings with them than they knew.
The Bible also teaches that that meaning, which was hidden from them, has been revealed to us in this present dispensation. We have the light on their experiences which they did not possess. The things which happened to them, and the ways in which they were led, had a spiritual meaning which waited for our time for its unveiling, so that we know the meaning of them while they did not. In the light which has now come to us we are able to see the meaning of their lives and to read the Old Testament in a new way.
So in our consideration of the life of Abraham we are able to see that the events in his life represent something for us. "These all, having had witness born to them through their faith, received not the promise, God having provided (or foreseen) some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made complete." There was something incomplete about their experience, and we have got that something.
Thus we come back to consider these steps in the life of Abraham, steps in a spiritual pilgrimage which begins in the world and ends in the heart of God. In our last meditation we began to consider the third step, that is, oneness with God in the heavenly nature of things, and we considered it from the positive standpoint, how that God had done a deep thing in Abraham which made it impossible for him to be satisfied with anything in this world. As the writer of Hebrews says: "They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly" (Hebrews 11:16).
Now we are going to look at this from what we may call the negative standpoint, though that is only a way of speaking, for there is nothing negative about God's dealings with His people. What I mean is this: that this great reality of the heavenly nature of things was made known to Abraham by his mistakes, and this is one of the necessary methods of God with us. God would not let us make mistakes if we were different people from what we are, but He knows quite well that most of His children will never learn anything except by making mistakes. You may tell a little child a hundred times that it will get burned if it puts its finger in the fire, but most children will not believe that until they have tried it, and then they know by experience what they cannot know by theory - they know in life what they could not learn by doctrine.
Some years ago I went to a great engineering factory, and there I saw some melting steel. I watched them pouring the molten steel into vessels, and we all had to stand well away. Even the hot air round about was cold to that steel, so that as it came out into the air it just flew out all over the place. I said to one of the men who was pouring out the steel: "Do you know that it is said that if you put your arm into cold water and then put it into that steel, you would not feel it?" He replied: "I have been doing that for years, but if you like to try it you can." Theory or no theory, I know all about molten steel, and I am not engaging in any experiments!
The Lord knows quite well that you and I will never really learn unless we make mistakes. We do not enjoy pointing out the mistakes of great servants of God, but it is impressive that He has had these things written in His Word, and the Scripture says: "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning" (Romans 15:4), and the mistakes are included in the "things written aforetime". Thus they were written for our learning.
Great as this man Abraham was, he made three big mistakes in his life, and we only take note of them in order that we may learn not to make those mistakes.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 12)
Profiting From the Word # 6
The Scriptures and Obedience
All professing Christians are agreed, in theory at least, that it is the bounden duty of those who bear His name to honor and glorify Christ in this world. But as to how this is to be done, as to what He requires from us to this end, there is a wide difference of opinion. Many suppose that honoring Christ simply means to join some church, take part in and support its various activities. Others think that honoring Christ mean to speak of Him to others and be diligently engaged in personal work. Others seem to imagine that honoring Christ signifies little more than making liberal financial contributions to His cause. Few indeed realize that Christ is honored only as we live holily unto Him, and that, by walking in subjection to His revealed will. Few indeed really believe that word, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
We are not Christians at all unless we have fully surrendered to and "received Christ Jesus the Lord" (Col. 2:6). We would plead with you to ponder that statement diligently. satan is deceiving many today by leading them to suppose that they are savingly trusting in "the finished work" of Christ while their hearts remain unchanged and self still rules their lives. Listen to God's Word: "Salvation is far from the wicked; for they seek not thy statutes" )Psalm 119:155). Do you really seek His statutes? Do you diligently search His Word to discover what He has commanded? He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4). What could be plainer than that?
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Obedience to the Lord in life, not merely glowing words from the lips, is what Christ requires. What a searching and solemn word is that in James 1:22: "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves"! There are many "hearers" of the Word, regular hearers, reverent hearers, interested hearers; but alas, what they hear is not incorporated into the life: it does not regulate their way. And God says that they who are not doers of the Word are deceiving their own selves!
Alas, how many such there are in Christendom today! They are not downright hypocrites, but deluded. They suppose that because they are so clear upon salvation by grace alone they are saved. They suppose that because they sit under the ministry of a man who has "made the Bible a new book" to them they have grown in grace. They suppose that because their store of biblical knowledge has increased, they are more spiritual. They suppose that the mere listening to a servant of God or reading his writings is "feeding on" the Word. Not so! We "feed" on the Word only when we personally appropriate, masticate and assimilate into our lives what we hear or read! When there is not an increasing conformity of heart and life to God's Word, then increased knowledge will only bring increased condemnation! "And that servant, which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes" (Luke 12:47).
"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3;7). This is one of the prominent characteristics of the "perilous times" in which we are now living. People hear one preacher after another, attend this conference and that conference, read book after book on biblical subjects, and yet never attain unto a vital and practical acquaintance with the truth, so as to have an impression of its power and efficacy on the soul. There is such a thing as spiritual "dropsy", and multitudes are suffering from it. The more they hear, the more they want to hear: they drink in sermons and addresses with a vidity, but their lives are unchanged. They are puffed up with their knowledge, not humbled into the dust before God. The faith of God's elect is "the acknowledging (in the life) of the truth which is after godliness" (Titus 1:1), but to this the vast majority are total strangers.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 7)
All professing Christians are agreed, in theory at least, that it is the bounden duty of those who bear His name to honor and glorify Christ in this world. But as to how this is to be done, as to what He requires from us to this end, there is a wide difference of opinion. Many suppose that honoring Christ simply means to join some church, take part in and support its various activities. Others think that honoring Christ mean to speak of Him to others and be diligently engaged in personal work. Others seem to imagine that honoring Christ signifies little more than making liberal financial contributions to His cause. Few indeed realize that Christ is honored only as we live holily unto Him, and that, by walking in subjection to His revealed will. Few indeed really believe that word, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
We are not Christians at all unless we have fully surrendered to and "received Christ Jesus the Lord" (Col. 2:6). We would plead with you to ponder that statement diligently. satan is deceiving many today by leading them to suppose that they are savingly trusting in "the finished work" of Christ while their hearts remain unchanged and self still rules their lives. Listen to God's Word: "Salvation is far from the wicked; for they seek not thy statutes" )Psalm 119:155). Do you really seek His statutes? Do you diligently search His Word to discover what He has commanded? He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4). What could be plainer than that?
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Obedience to the Lord in life, not merely glowing words from the lips, is what Christ requires. What a searching and solemn word is that in James 1:22: "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves"! There are many "hearers" of the Word, regular hearers, reverent hearers, interested hearers; but alas, what they hear is not incorporated into the life: it does not regulate their way. And God says that they who are not doers of the Word are deceiving their own selves!
Alas, how many such there are in Christendom today! They are not downright hypocrites, but deluded. They suppose that because they are so clear upon salvation by grace alone they are saved. They suppose that because they sit under the ministry of a man who has "made the Bible a new book" to them they have grown in grace. They suppose that because their store of biblical knowledge has increased, they are more spiritual. They suppose that the mere listening to a servant of God or reading his writings is "feeding on" the Word. Not so! We "feed" on the Word only when we personally appropriate, masticate and assimilate into our lives what we hear or read! When there is not an increasing conformity of heart and life to God's Word, then increased knowledge will only bring increased condemnation! "And that servant, which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes" (Luke 12:47).
"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3;7). This is one of the prominent characteristics of the "perilous times" in which we are now living. People hear one preacher after another, attend this conference and that conference, read book after book on biblical subjects, and yet never attain unto a vital and practical acquaintance with the truth, so as to have an impression of its power and efficacy on the soul. There is such a thing as spiritual "dropsy", and multitudes are suffering from it. The more they hear, the more they want to hear: they drink in sermons and addresses with a vidity, but their lives are unchanged. They are puffed up with their knowledge, not humbled into the dust before God. The faith of God's elect is "the acknowledging (in the life) of the truth which is after godliness" (Titus 1:1), but to this the vast majority are total strangers.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 7)
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Our Security in God
"And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28)
There is nothing uncertain about my acceptance with God, nor about my forgiveness, nor about my sonship. When I realize that I have been brought into God's plan, I know that nothing can frustrate this.
Now there are many people who talk about the Protestant Reformation and the influence it had upon the world. You find that certain statesmen do this. They say you cannot explain the history of England apart from the Protestant Reformation. Neither, they say, can you explain the United States of America apart from these things, because they all had their origin in that Reformation. But how little do these people really see what it all means and what it really represents, which is that these great truths are absolute and certain. Do you know why the Pilgrim Fathers made that attempt and succeeded in crossing the Atlantic? What was it that enabled men to do things like that and to do things that were even more hazardous? It was that they believed in what is called "the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints"; it was because they had seen themselves in the plan of God Himself; He knows the end as well as the beginning. "Neither shall any man," said Christ, "pluck them out of my hand. It is unthinkable.
If God has done all this for us in Christ, and especially in His death, we can be certain that He will carry on with the work until it is completed. That is Paul's argument: "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 8:32). God, who is sufficiently concerned about me to send His Son to die on the Cross of Calvary for me, is not going to let me down when any difficulty or temptation faces me.
A Thought to Ponder: God is not going to let me down when any difficulty or temptation faces me.
~Martyn Lloyd-Jones~
There is nothing uncertain about my acceptance with God, nor about my forgiveness, nor about my sonship. When I realize that I have been brought into God's plan, I know that nothing can frustrate this.
Now there are many people who talk about the Protestant Reformation and the influence it had upon the world. You find that certain statesmen do this. They say you cannot explain the history of England apart from the Protestant Reformation. Neither, they say, can you explain the United States of America apart from these things, because they all had their origin in that Reformation. But how little do these people really see what it all means and what it really represents, which is that these great truths are absolute and certain. Do you know why the Pilgrim Fathers made that attempt and succeeded in crossing the Atlantic? What was it that enabled men to do things like that and to do things that were even more hazardous? It was that they believed in what is called "the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints"; it was because they had seen themselves in the plan of God Himself; He knows the end as well as the beginning. "Neither shall any man," said Christ, "pluck them out of my hand. It is unthinkable.
If God has done all this for us in Christ, and especially in His death, we can be certain that He will carry on with the work until it is completed. That is Paul's argument: "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 8:32). God, who is sufficiently concerned about me to send His Son to die on the Cross of Calvary for me, is not going to let me down when any difficulty or temptation faces me.
A Thought to Ponder: God is not going to let me down when any difficulty or temptation faces me.
~Martyn Lloyd-Jones~
Into the Heart and Mind of God # 10
There are many times in the life of the people of God when they come to disillusionment. They think that they have now come to the thing which is everything, and then they suffer a great disillusionment. They find that this thing, after all, is not the final thing. Indeed, it is not what God puts into their heart as the thing that is what He is after. Although it may be something very good, and even wonderful, there is an element of disappointment about it. You see, there is a disappointment about everything and everybody on this earth. If you knew the truth about Abraham, or Moses, or about any of these great men, you would find that there was something to disappoint you in them. There is nothing, and there is no one, perfect here.
I must just make this statement and leave it there for the present. The fact is that the Lord must have us always going on. We are pilgrims and strangers, which means that we shall never come to finality here on this earth. If you are disappointed with what you thought was going to be the perfect thing, just remember that the Lord is calling you on to something better. When we look at some of the mistakes that Abraham made we shall see more clearly what we mean.
We will close by illustrating from the life of Moses. It says of him: "He supposed that his brethren understood how that God by his hand was giving them deliverance" (Acts 7:25). He had clothed his Hebrew brethren with a great idea that if only he presented himself as their leader they would all come round him and make a great fuss of him. So one day he went out to offer himself as the hero of the deliverance of his brethren. And the first Egyptian that he found badly treating them he knocked on the head and forced all the breath out of him. What did he expect? That all his brethren would rally round and say: "Now we have got a champion", and they would all begin to treat the Egyptians as Moses treated that man. It was a very great surprise and disillusionment to Moses when one of his own brethren turned on him the next day and said: "Who made you a ruler over us?" That was a great disillusionment to Moses. Why? Because God's way is a heavenly way and not an earthly way. We do not do God's work by throwing our own weight about. When it is done, it will be done from heaven and not by that kind of Moses. He only made things much more complicated and lost a lot of time by trying to do heavenly things on an earthly level.
So what we have to learn is that we are called to be a heavenly people whose weapons of warfare are spiritual weapons and not carnal, whose methods are not the methods of this world, but the methods of heaven. And to learn that lesson is a phase in a journey which will end right in the heart of God.
May the Lord interpret this word in our hearts and teach us what it means that we are "born from above" and have heavenly resources at our command!
Oneness with God in the Heavenly Nature of Everything (continued)
Hebrews 11:39, 12:2).
The Bible teaches us that people of the Old Testament went through experiences of which they never understood the full meaning. The real meaning was hidden from their eyes. All that they knew was that they were under the hand of God, and that there was something more in their experiences of His dealings with them than they knew.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 11)
I must just make this statement and leave it there for the present. The fact is that the Lord must have us always going on. We are pilgrims and strangers, which means that we shall never come to finality here on this earth. If you are disappointed with what you thought was going to be the perfect thing, just remember that the Lord is calling you on to something better. When we look at some of the mistakes that Abraham made we shall see more clearly what we mean.
We will close by illustrating from the life of Moses. It says of him: "He supposed that his brethren understood how that God by his hand was giving them deliverance" (Acts 7:25). He had clothed his Hebrew brethren with a great idea that if only he presented himself as their leader they would all come round him and make a great fuss of him. So one day he went out to offer himself as the hero of the deliverance of his brethren. And the first Egyptian that he found badly treating them he knocked on the head and forced all the breath out of him. What did he expect? That all his brethren would rally round and say: "Now we have got a champion", and they would all begin to treat the Egyptians as Moses treated that man. It was a very great surprise and disillusionment to Moses when one of his own brethren turned on him the next day and said: "Who made you a ruler over us?" That was a great disillusionment to Moses. Why? Because God's way is a heavenly way and not an earthly way. We do not do God's work by throwing our own weight about. When it is done, it will be done from heaven and not by that kind of Moses. He only made things much more complicated and lost a lot of time by trying to do heavenly things on an earthly level.
So what we have to learn is that we are called to be a heavenly people whose weapons of warfare are spiritual weapons and not carnal, whose methods are not the methods of this world, but the methods of heaven. And to learn that lesson is a phase in a journey which will end right in the heart of God.
May the Lord interpret this word in our hearts and teach us what it means that we are "born from above" and have heavenly resources at our command!
Oneness with God in the Heavenly Nature of Everything (continued)
Hebrews 11:39, 12:2).
The Bible teaches us that people of the Old Testament went through experiences of which they never understood the full meaning. The real meaning was hidden from their eyes. All that they knew was that they were under the hand of God, and that there was something more in their experiences of His dealings with them than they knew.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 11)
Monday, June 18, 2012
Into the Heart and Mind of God # 9
I wonder if you understand this from experience? Of course, when we get older the things of this life and of this world do lose their interest for us, but I am not talking about the natural realm. This has to e just as true of the youngest Christian as it was true of Abraham. I do not know who may be the youngest Christian reading this book, but I want to say to that one, as to everyone else, that a real mark of the work of God in the heart is that we have been spoiled for this world. We have come to realize that there is nothing that can take the place of the heavenly things. I do wish this was true of all Christians, and especially of all young Christians - that heavenly things have become so real and precious to them that they would travel across half the world to get them, and that they were prepared to give up their holidays and all the earthly interests in order to get some heavenly things. Well, I think I am right in saying that that is why most of us are here now, that we have at least come this far on the journey that for us, there is nothing that can take the place of the things of God.
So what we are saying is that it is a very impressive thing that, although it was a country full of good things naturally, and although there were cities there, Abraham never settled down in any of it. God had done such a deep work in his heart, and that word "never" went right on to the end of his life. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises."
Now you see our connection with the last message. We said then that oneness with God is repudiating the natural life is a step forward. It is a most unnatural thing never to want to settle down in some abode or residence on this earth! It may be all right to dwell in a tent for a little while, but the time comes when we say: "Let us leave the tent and go home", where we have all the conveniences of a settled abode. I repeat: it is a very unnatural thing never to want a home, and Abraham, although he longed for a home, could never settle down in this world. That was a very unnatural thing; it was a spiritual thing.
So we see that in this journey we do have to come to this spiritual position of a gravitation toward the things of God and of heaven. God puts a law of spiritual gravitation into His born again children and, as surely as there come a times when the law works in the birds of the air and they say: "It is time we left the country", so in the true Christian the law of spiritual gravitation toward the heavenly things is a mighty work.
If we are moving with God we shall discover that He is never in favor of our having settled and permanent spiritual centers in this world. The horizon of the people of God is not the horizon of this earth. Perhaps you have heard of certain places where the Lord has given great blessings and you have said: "Oh, if only I could go and spend the rest of my life there!" If you did that you would be making a terrible mistake. God is never going to allow any center on this earth to be the end of the journey. We may get blessing there, it may be true that the Lord meets us there, but if we begin to think that this is the end of all things we are going to have a great disappointment.
And what is true of places is also true of experiences. Again and again in my own life God has given a new experience. When I had the first one I thought I had come to the end of all blessing. "Surely", I thought, "there can be nothing more than this!" But then, later on, the Lord did something else, and again I thought: "Surely there is nothing beyond this! I must be ready to go to heaven now!" And yet again there was another movement forward, and every fresh experience of the Lord was something in advance of everything that had gone before. Be very careful that you do not come to any position which says: "Now we have come to finality." They "greeted them from afar" - there was always something more beyond, and this is the true mark of a spiritual progress toward the heart of God.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 10)
So what we are saying is that it is a very impressive thing that, although it was a country full of good things naturally, and although there were cities there, Abraham never settled down in any of it. God had done such a deep work in his heart, and that word "never" went right on to the end of his life. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises."
Now you see our connection with the last message. We said then that oneness with God is repudiating the natural life is a step forward. It is a most unnatural thing never to want to settle down in some abode or residence on this earth! It may be all right to dwell in a tent for a little while, but the time comes when we say: "Let us leave the tent and go home", where we have all the conveniences of a settled abode. I repeat: it is a very unnatural thing never to want a home, and Abraham, although he longed for a home, could never settle down in this world. That was a very unnatural thing; it was a spiritual thing.
So we see that in this journey we do have to come to this spiritual position of a gravitation toward the things of God and of heaven. God puts a law of spiritual gravitation into His born again children and, as surely as there come a times when the law works in the birds of the air and they say: "It is time we left the country", so in the true Christian the law of spiritual gravitation toward the heavenly things is a mighty work.
If we are moving with God we shall discover that He is never in favor of our having settled and permanent spiritual centers in this world. The horizon of the people of God is not the horizon of this earth. Perhaps you have heard of certain places where the Lord has given great blessings and you have said: "Oh, if only I could go and spend the rest of my life there!" If you did that you would be making a terrible mistake. God is never going to allow any center on this earth to be the end of the journey. We may get blessing there, it may be true that the Lord meets us there, but if we begin to think that this is the end of all things we are going to have a great disappointment.
And what is true of places is also true of experiences. Again and again in my own life God has given a new experience. When I had the first one I thought I had come to the end of all blessing. "Surely", I thought, "there can be nothing more than this!" But then, later on, the Lord did something else, and again I thought: "Surely there is nothing beyond this! I must be ready to go to heaven now!" And yet again there was another movement forward, and every fresh experience of the Lord was something in advance of everything that had gone before. Be very careful that you do not come to any position which says: "Now we have come to finality." They "greeted them from afar" - there was always something more beyond, and this is the true mark of a spiritual progress toward the heart of God.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 10)
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Profiting From the Word # 5
When the Ethiopian can change his skin, and the leopard his spots, then may they also do good that are accustomed to do evil (Jeremiah 13:23). Men may as soon expect to gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles, as good fruit to grow upon or good works to be performed by the unregenerate. We have first to be "created in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:10), have His Spirit put within us (Galatians 4:6), and His grace implanted in our hearts (Ephesians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 15:10), before there is any capacity for good works. Even then we can do nothing apart from Christ (John 15:5). Often we have a will go do that which is good, yet how to perform it we know not (Romans 7:18). This drives us to our knees, begging God to make us "perfect in every good work", working in us "that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ" (Hebrews 13:21). Thus we are emptied of self-sufficiency, and brought to realize that all our springs are in God (Psalm 87:7); and thus we discover that we can do all things through Christ strengthening us (Phil. 4:13).
6. We profit from the Word when we are taught thereby the great importance of good works. Condensing as far as possible: "good works" are of great importance because by them God is glorified (Matthew 5:16), by them the mouths of those who speak against us are closed (1 Peter 2:12), by them we evidence the genuineness of our profession of faith (James 2:13-17). It is highly expedient that we "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things" (Titus 2:10). Nothing brings more honor to Christ than that those who bear His name are found living constantly (by His enablement) in a Christ-like way and spirit. It was not without reason that the same Spirit who caused the apostle to preface his statement concerning Christ's coming into this world to save sinners with "This is a faithful saying," etc., also moved him to write, "This is a faithful saying ... that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works" (Titus 3:8). May we indeed be "zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).
7. We profit from the Word when we are taught thereby the true scope of good works. This is so comprehensive as to include the discharge of our duties in every relationship in which God has placed us. It is interesting and instructive to note the first "good work" (as so described) in Holy Writ, namely, the anointing the Saviour by Mary of Bethany (Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6). Indifferent alike to the blame or praise of men, with eyes only for the "chiefest among ten thousand," she lavished upon Him her precious ointment. Another woman, Dorcas (Acts 9:36), is also mentioned as "full of good works"; after worship comes service, glorifying God among men and benefiting others.
"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work" (Col. 1:10). The bringing up (not dragging up!) of children, lodging (spiritual) strangers, washing the saints feet (ministering to their temporal comforts) and relieving the afflicted (1 Timothy 5:10) are spoken of as "good works". Unless our reading and study of Scriptures is making us better soldiers of Jesus Christ, better citizens of the country in which we sojourn, better members of our earthly homes (kinder, gentler, more unselfish), "thoroughly furnished unto all good works, it is profiting us little or nothing.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 6 - "The Scriptures and Obedience")
6. We profit from the Word when we are taught thereby the great importance of good works. Condensing as far as possible: "good works" are of great importance because by them God is glorified (Matthew 5:16), by them the mouths of those who speak against us are closed (1 Peter 2:12), by them we evidence the genuineness of our profession of faith (James 2:13-17). It is highly expedient that we "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things" (Titus 2:10). Nothing brings more honor to Christ than that those who bear His name are found living constantly (by His enablement) in a Christ-like way and spirit. It was not without reason that the same Spirit who caused the apostle to preface his statement concerning Christ's coming into this world to save sinners with "This is a faithful saying," etc., also moved him to write, "This is a faithful saying ... that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works" (Titus 3:8). May we indeed be "zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).
7. We profit from the Word when we are taught thereby the true scope of good works. This is so comprehensive as to include the discharge of our duties in every relationship in which God has placed us. It is interesting and instructive to note the first "good work" (as so described) in Holy Writ, namely, the anointing the Saviour by Mary of Bethany (Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6). Indifferent alike to the blame or praise of men, with eyes only for the "chiefest among ten thousand," she lavished upon Him her precious ointment. Another woman, Dorcas (Acts 9:36), is also mentioned as "full of good works"; after worship comes service, glorifying God among men and benefiting others.
"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work" (Col. 1:10). The bringing up (not dragging up!) of children, lodging (spiritual) strangers, washing the saints feet (ministering to their temporal comforts) and relieving the afflicted (1 Timothy 5:10) are spoken of as "good works". Unless our reading and study of Scriptures is making us better soldiers of Jesus Christ, better citizens of the country in which we sojourn, better members of our earthly homes (kinder, gentler, more unselfish), "thoroughly furnished unto all good works, it is profiting us little or nothing.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 6 - "The Scriptures and Obedience")
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