PURITY

Joshua 2: 1–21; 1 John 3: 1–3; Ephesians 5: 25–27; Revelation 19: 6–8

APG I wondered if we could enquire into the subject of what is pure. One of the things that Paul exhorts the Philippians to be occupied with is “whatsoever things are pure”, Philippians 4: 8. I am encouraged by our brother’s hymn as to the pure light that comes from Christ in heaven. Everything that comes from God, from Christ, is pure, every word from God is pure. It is a feature that has to be worked out in the saints. The word as to the Lord Jesus on the mountain in Mark’s gospel is that “his garments became shining, exceeding white as snow, such as fuller on earth could not whiten them” (Mark 9: 3), referring to the purity that marked Christ; and He is seeking that feature to be marking the saints. We know that all that comes from heaven is entirely pure, suggesting what is free from any mixture.

God has no pleasure in what is mixed; He delights in what is pure, pure affection for Christ is what is in mind. We read first of Rahab, a remarkable woman who comes in at the beginning of this book, one with whom we would not have associated purity, but she had stalks of flax laid out on the roof, suggesting purity and what is righteous. It refers to the work of God that had been brought about in this woman. It is an encouragement for us to consider what God does in His sovereign mercy in bringing in such a one, like the woman in John 4, and others we could think of. The flax was laid out on the roof for God to take account of. Rahab was marked by faith as referred to in the New Testament.

In 1 John 3, the reference there is to the children of God as begotten of God in this scene. John refers to the hope that we have in Christ, “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”. What a prospect for us, and the practical effect is that “every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure”. John brings these standards before us, which we may have thought were entirely beyond us, but that is the divine thought.

In Ephesians 5 the love of Christ is prominent, in view of sanctifying and purifying the assembly. The assembly is the object of the love of Christ. He has given Himself for the assembly. His love is active and operating at the present time in view of the assembly being entirely for His pleasure, “that he might present the assembly to himself glorious, having no spot, or wrinkle, or any of such things”. That is what the Lord has in mind that there should be an answer for Himself.

In Revelation 19 there is a very attractive suggestion as to the marriage of the Lamb. The assembly here is the Lamb’s wife, one who has been faithful to Him and loyal to Him in times of suffering. The Lamb suggests the suffering One, and His wife is given to be clothed “in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints”. How much is included in that, righteous acts, everything that is done with love for Christ being the motive. This is going on at the present time, “his wife has made herself ready”. I thought we would be encouraged in thinking of these things. Do you think that would be profitable?

JAG I am sure it would. “Blessed the pure in heart, for they shall see God”, Matthew 5: 8. Do you think Rahab was seeing God in these people? What God had done at the Red Sea? but what they had done would be by the Spirit, the work of God in them was very manifest.

APG She had remarkable light as to what God had done, typical of the power of God, the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. As you say, what had been marked out in the people of God in overcoming the flesh, taking account of all that, possibly having even a greater appreciation of what God had done than some of the children of Israel; she had light from God, and she responded to that light too, laid hold of it in faith. That is how the glad tidings have come to us, is it not?

JAG I think it is quite a question for us, if we have overcome Sihon and Og? We are all very thankful for what God has done for us in delivering us from Egypt, but there are these two enemies who stand athwart us entering into the inheritance.

APG Yes, these two enemies refer to the flesh; we need the power of the Spirit to help us so that we might overcome. It was a great victory, they overcame these enemies.

JAG And the attractiveness of Joshua drawing us across, Christ in type? “This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel”, Joshua 3: 7.

APG It is remarkable that this chapter comes in before chapter 3, before they cross the Jordan, emphasising the great need of faith in us if we are to get into the enjoyment of the inheritance on the other side of death. Rahab had a knowledge of that in principle.

JAG You might question our faith but grace meets that. It strengthens us as we see what God is doing for them, and this Gentile woman who appears in the royal line morally in greatness.

APG She is not called Rahab the harlot in Matthew 1. It is very attractive how she is brought into the royal line. She received the spies, she had already received the glad tidings, and had to do with God. She had come to a judgment of her previous course.

JAG You might say she had a pure heart.

APG There is a word in Acts 15 I thought might help us, what Peter says about the Gentiles coming in, “the heart-knowing God bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit as to us also, and put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith”. Do you think that would express what is in Rahab? God had worked in her.

GC Do you think there is something for us to learn from Peter’s experience as to the sheet, “What God has cleansed, do not thou make common”, Acts 10: 15?

APG I think that is a helpful scripture. Peter needed help in Acts 10, but in chapter 15

he was able to help others as God had helped him to see that what God had cleansed was not to be called common. God had been working in Rahab which resulted in her having these stalks of flax.

GC God cleansing is a remarkable thing, and I think in our histories we need to take account of that. It is not like the Old Testament scriptures, where there were lavers and so on which were typical things, but it is what God has cleansed. This affects us inwardly, do you think?

APG Yes, there is a sort of outward reproach attached to this woman, but before God she was cleansed. The spies were sent out to see the land but it was Rahab they found in Jericho, no doubt they were directed there by God.

JAG We cannot have purity apart from righteousness; hence the flax is important.

APG Yes, she had the stalks. The stalks of flax, as has often been said, is the raw material, not worked out into a garment at this stage although that would be in view. God could take account of the change in her.

JAG So it would become the fine linen.

APG Yes.

EJM In Romans 5 we are “justified on the principle of faith, we have peace” (Romans 5: 1), and along with that we are justified in view of another world; she hid the men. Our life is hid.

APG Yes, the principle of hiding comes into this chapter, hiding in the mountains too. The scripture you have referred to helps, “your life is hid with the Christ in God”, Colossians 3: 3. It is not any outward show or anything like that in the world. Our life is hid with the Christ in God. She did not perish with the unbelieving, but had faith, as it says in Hebrews.

GBG Is Cornelius a New Testament example, similar to Rahab in whom God had worked? He was not of the people of Israel; he feared God, he supplicated God, there was evidently a work of God there, do you think?

APG Yes, God had been working. There was something pure in Cornelius and those who were with him. What a work God has brought about in the Gentiles, those who were afar off, and had no right. It magnifies the sovereign mercy of God, and divine grace that we have known.

RJC Do we see how this was characterising her life? I was thinking of the scripture

“the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10: 38); this was her life now.

APG She was completely changed. It says, “she dwelt in

the midst of Israel to this day”, Joshua 6: 25. She was obviously maintained in it among the people of God and brought into the royal line. It was the principle of her life, the just shall live by faith”.

JS Peter, when he is addressing Cornelius, says “but in every nation he that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him”, Acts 10: 35.

APG So you are thinking of the stalks of flax which would suggest what was righteous. She was working with it, do you think?

JS I wondered that, “he that ... works righteousness”, and finally it comes in the scripture we read in Revelation, “the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints”.

APG The scripture in Revelation is not imputed righteousness, is it? We are clothed with divine righteousness as we put our trust in the Lord Jesus, but these righteousnesses are actual righteousnesses of the saints, speaking of the subjective answer in the saints.

WWL The first thing she says when she goes up to the roof is, “I know”, and in the next verse she says, “we have heard”, which I suppose would be in Jericho, but she had made it her own, she believed the report.

APG It was remarkable the knowledge she had of God, not knowing only the God of the earth but also the God of the heavens, “God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath”. She says, “I know that Jehovah has given you the land”. That knowledge had been worked out in her soul; she was no longer loyal to the king of Jericho. It really speaks of the household of faith at the present time. The world is under judgment but we are to be loyal to Christ and loyal to the people of God.

AGM Paul to the Philippians says, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in full knowledge and all intelligence, that ye may judge of and approve the things that are more excellent, in order that ye may be pure and without offence for Christ’s day, being complete as regards the fruit of righteousness”, Philippians 1: 9, 10. You get a sense of that with Rahab, she had judged and approved the things that are more excellent. She would go over these things and yet she protects the spies; her life was really bound up with the spies.

APG Yes, that is a helpful word to bring in. I think being occupied with these heavenly things has a purifying effect on us, “in order that ye may be pure and without offence for Christ’s day”.

AGM That would really take us on to the last scripture that you read where the fine linen is produced, but it is something that is worked out now. I would like you to say some more as to that starting with the stalks of flax.

APG Well, as we were saying it is the raw material, and she was able to hide the spies using the stalks of flax. It was something that the world did not understand. The world has no appreciation of what is pure or what is righteous, so she is able to hide the spies.

RG Rahab is in the secret of things. She says, “I know that Jehovah has given you the land”.

APG Yes, that is good. There is the secret side which is hidden entirely from the world. No doubt the other inhabitants of Jericho had heard about the Israelites too but they were unbelieving, as it says in Hebrews. What marked Rahab and those of her household were that they believed the word, and God was working out something in them that was for His pleasure.

JS Do you think the stalks of flax being laid out on the roof would show that the household was marked by this feature of righteousness?

APG Her house was on the wall, the strongest part of the city. God had that house in the world, a world that was under judgment; but there was a household there that was pleasing to Him, righteousness was appreciated. It was of Himself, the people of God were appreciated too, because later there is the scarlet line, the cord, that would be how the flax was used.

ADM You spoke about the raw material. Would that be a little like Romans 6, having got her freedom from sin she became a bondman to righteousness? Therefore when these spies came she recognised them, she had an immediate affinity with them.

APG Yes, she received them into her house; her outlook was towards the people, the children of Israel. She is really saying, “thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God”, as Ruth said (Ruth 1: 16).

AGM The background to this is darkness, speaking as to a darkness that characterises the world in which we live, but in the midst of that there is that going on with the believer that is totally different, and it is seen from heaven. It is hidden from what is public.

APG Jericho represents the world as a hindrance to coming into the land. It was a great victory when the children overcame Jericho. The household of faith were saved, they had light as opposed to the darkness.

AGM We sometimes say the circumstances are not so easy as they were earlier on, but that is no excuse. I was thinking of Mr. Otsing’s hymn, how he felt the darkness. He was working out something in his soul on this line.

APG Yes, very good.

JAG Receiving the spies in peace shows where her affinities were. They were not with Jericho; although sad to say, when they did overcome Jericho one of the brethren had affinities there, a bar of gold, silver and a Babylonish garment.

APG Yes, that is right. Rahab’s affinities were with the people of God, she became a traitor to her own people. She not only had faith, but she was faithful to the agreement she made with the spies.

JAG She was influential, her whole house, her father’s house, were all saved.

APG Yes, for all those who came in through the door, that was the place of safety.

AMB Does what you are bringing before us as to purity establish a moral consistency between the saints on the earth as we see Rahab here, and the moral standard, if you could use that expression, that God has and looks for, because really what is pure is not mixed; it comes from a pure source. God is the source of what is pure.

APG James says, “the wisdom from above first is pure”, James 3: 17. Everything that comes from God is entirely pure. What you say is right, that we are to be morally in accord with God and free from any mixture. The enemy is always ready to bring the first man in, some mixture of the first man.

AMB I think that is helpful, what is entirely according to God. Jeremiah said, “if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth”, Jeremiah 15: 19. That is something that God can associate Himself with, the precious taken out from the vile.

APG I think Rahab would be precious, as responding to the glad tidings. The glad tidings themselves are pure—pure blessing for men.

GBG Speaking about her affinity with the people of God, do you think we pass from death to life as in John’s epistle? That causes that affinity, you know what life really is, passing from death to life if you love the brethren, for you need the brethren for the enjoyment of the heavenly portion.

APG I think it is a mark of purity, loving the brethren. There is a verse which says, “Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth to unfeigned brotherly love, love one another out of a pure heart fervently”, 1 Peter 1: 22. That confirms what you say, that loving one another is a feature of purity and righteousness; it is a divine work.

EJM Lydia was pure, the fact that she said, “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord”, Acts 16: 15. She was not mixed up, she was pure. Her allegiance was to the Lord. She attended to the things spoken by Paul. Things get opened up as we have the Lord before us.

APG Yes, that is a good example. She received what Paul said, “a pure heart”. In Philippians it says, “pure and without offence”, Philippians 1: 10. There is the side of what God is doing, “having purified their hearts by faith” (Acts 15: 9), but there is also our side, “by obedience to the truth”. That would be our side. Lydia was obedient to the word.

JB It is the effect of the gospel really. The heart of man is enmity against God and desperately wicked, but the gospel

brings in a new heart, a pure heart.

APG Yes, that is what God has in mind for us. Our hearts are not pure naturally.

JB Our brother said that purity is from God. One scripture even says, “the heavens are not pure in his sight” (Job.15: 15), so that we have to go back to God for purity.

APG I think it is a feature that is especially to mark the present time, the time of breakdown, “those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart”, 2 Timothy 2: 22. In these days when there is so much mixture, the Lord is looking for pure hearts, speaking of love for Himself.

AdB Do you think Philippians 4 comes into what you are saying? “For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure”, Philippians 4: 8. He mentions some other things, “What ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me”, something that was there in Paul and there was a line that we can follow through. This cord becomes a thread, then it becomes a line. It changes, does it not?

APG Yes, there is strength in the cord which is able to let the men down. There is strength in purity and righteousness. That is a helpful scripture that you refer to. Paul would have us to be engaged with these things, our occupation, and they are to have a practical effect on us. Mr James Taylor said of that scripture that there are more good things to be occupied with than bad things. That would take us to our next scripture. The children of God in 1 John 3 are to be purified. It says, “And every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure”. What a standard that is, Christ as He is in His present place. That is where our occupation is to be. There is a practical effect of being engaged with Christ and having that hope in our hearts.

JAG Are we ready for the manifestation, which I suppose is the appearing?

APG Yes, “what we shall be has not yet been manifested; we know that if it is manifested we shall be like him”. That will be a very blessed thing to be actually like Christ. Can you help us more?

JAG It certainly involves a change of body, but then the purity proceeding as we purify ourselves means we will become more characteristically like Christ. That would be in your mind, would it, so that the features of the children of God, the family of God, are manifested among the brethren?

APG These features include being “harmless and simple, irreproachable children of God”, Philippians 2: 15. These are the features of Christ that will come about, purifying ourselves, even as He is pure. What pleasure God has in His children down here!

JAG Paul speaks about the life of Jesus being manifested; that is what it would be.

APG Yes, very good.

EJM Paul brings in the crown of righteousness which appears to be collective, do you think? He says, “Henceforth the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will render to me in that day; but not only to me, but also to all who love his appearing”, 2 Timothy 4: 8.

APG So we seek to be here as persons who are loving His appearing, owning His rights at the present time.

AMB I was just thinking that every one of us knows to some extent in ourselves that if we are thinking about the Lord Jesus, then that is morally purifying, because we cannot have thoughts of the Lord Jesus in our minds and something that is impure; that is a moral impossibility. Do you think it is a refuge for the believer, that if our minds are distracted by things, we can seek the help of the Spirit to be occupied by Christ? I know that this scripture is particularly referring to the hope of His appearing, but just to have the Person before us, and in our thoughts and our affections excludes what is impure.

APG That is right what you say. This would be the fruit of the Spirit’s operations; the Spirit would occupy us with Christ and keep that hope burning brightly in our affections, and the practical result is that we are purified.

AMB There might be young people here who find things in their minds or in their affections that they worry about, but

the antidote to it is to appeal to the Spirit to occupy us with the Lord Jesus, with Christ. Is that right?

APG Yes, that is helpful for us.

JS I think this works out as being occupied with Christ, we have this hope before us of being like Him. It causes exercise to be like Him now, purifying ourselves “even as he is pure”. That is to become characteristic of us.

APG I think it is very attractive that as we are occupied with Him, that we have a desire to be like Him. These features are to be worked out in us, but I think it is right to have a desire for it because the Lord will bless that, and there will be a result. It is something that the world does not understand anything about. Just like Rahab, the world did not understand.

JS It is a wonderful example that is set before us, “even as he is pure”.

APG We have referred to Mark 9, “his garments became shining, exceeding white as snow, such as fuller on earth could not whiten them (Mark 9: 3). It is entirely above what is on the earth, what is earthly. Infinite purity marks Christ, and to become like Him would be an exercise for us.

JS This is a word to every one who has this hope in Christ. It comes down to each one individually, do you think?

APG Do you think this would operate inwardly, and outwardly too, so that our associations would be pure? It says of the Lord that He was undefiled, separated from sinners (Hebrews 7: 26).

JS Following the matter of purifying ourselves from associations in 2 Corinthians 6, it goes on to say, “let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit”, 2 Corinthians 7: 1. That would involve both the outward and the inward.

APG Yes, that is helpful. It says, “Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves”. There is an incentive, God is to dwell among us, to be a Father to us, and we are to be sons and daughters. How attractive it is in having these promises, we are to have the practical exercise of being purified in view of what is pleasing to Him.

JAG It is quite searching as to how much we really know of the Lord’s actual presence because that is where we derive these features.

APG Yes, so that it is in His company that we take on His features. Help us more as to that.

JAG

‘Yet sure, if in Thy presence

My soul still constant were,

Mine eye would, more familiar,

Its brighter glories bear’. (Hymn 51)

We know about it but to be actually in the Lord’s presence is an exercise.

AGM “Even as he is pure”, refers to Christ where He is, and as He is. It is not exactly as He was down here. We had no link with Him when He was down here. Do you think occupation with Christ in glory really brings out this feature?

APG That is helpful to say that, even as He is pure, it is where He is and we shall be like Him, we shall see Him as He is. That is our hope. It is not as He was in flesh and blood.

GBG John is saying “every one”. Paul said to Timothy “Keep thyself pure”, 1 Timothy 5: 22. Responsibility comes into it, does it not? We are responsible to be occupied with what is right. The Spirit helps us in our faith in that way, but then the setting of the scripture in Timothy, “Keep thyself pure” means pure in the sense of keeping these things without prejudice, doing nothing by favour. It is our inward motives, but it is seen outwardly. Motives are a great test, are they not?

APG So it is love out of a pure heart. A pure heart would refer to our motives. God’s heart is towards us in the way of pure blessing, and our hearts are to be pure. The motive is pure affection for Christ, and that would work out in affection for the saints, and love for the truth too.

JAG I think the greatest impurity that we have to contend with is ourselves. Our brother speaks about young people but old people are affected as well.

APG I suppose as long as we are here we need to be maintained in self-judgment.

SD I wondered if we could get help as to the link between purity and sanctification.

APG Well, that comes into Ephesians. “Christ also loved the assembly, and has delivered himself up for it, in order that he might sanctify it, purifying it by the washing of water by the word”. A brother drew our attention to sanctification recently; it means a setting apart for God’s purposes. I think purifying would flow from that, that there might be nothing out of accord with the divine thought, “no spot, or wrinkle”, so that we might be in complete correspondence to Christ. This is the assembly in Ephesians 5. Can you help as to it?

SD The scripture that came to mind is in Hebrews, “the sanctified and the sanctifier are all of one”. I just wondered if that would have a bearing.

APG It is the result of His death there. I think that is a very attractive view of His death in Ephesians 5. He “has delivered himself up for it”, for the assembly. I suppose it is a view of the death of Christ that we are occupied with at the Lord’s supper.

JS I am impressed with this from the standpoint of the service of the love of Christ, what goes on by way of ministry coming from Him; it has this effect of purifying by “the washing of water by the word”. It is a very important feature in ministry because it has a preventative effect.

APG It is the love of Christ that is behind it. It is sometimes linked with John 13 where the Lord was serving His own in love, “having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end”, John 13: 1. He washed their feet there in view of having part with Him. It is to prevent any defilement so that the word is important and it would affect our minds and intelligence.

JAG Holy as to nature and blameless as to action. It is exactly what He is.

APG “That it might be holy and blameless”. Would you say more as to that? It comes into chapter 1 but it is to mark the assembly, is it not?

JAG It is a very practical matter. Holiness as to nature is a characteristic, and blamelessness as to action, and the effect of the word in purification has that in mind; and so he says it is glorious, morally great.

APG So it is to correspond with Himself.

JS “That he might present the assembly to himself”; it would be in every way in correspondence with Himself and suitable to Himself, presentable to Himself.

APG So it is what is for His own heart. There is to be no spot or wrinkle, or any of such things that would spoil what was for Him.

JAG Practically there should be nothing unsuitable to Christ. Presenting the assembly to Himself means that the assembly shall be absolutely in accord with Himself, as you have read in Revelation 19. Currently there should be a representation of Christ in these features.

We are weak and so forth, but these features are there at least in measure.

APG Yes, so this is going on now, the Lord is doing this now, serving the assembly by the washing of the water. The water would suggest what had come from His side. It flowed from His death, the blood and water; this is the water, washing of water by the word.

JAG He is doing it in this meeting now.

APG Yes.

AMB What you say as to the death of Christ and the water which came from His side is very important.

APG We are often reminded that the blood is in view of our eternal salvation, but there is the ongoing need of the water, the washing. The water would be pure, what comes from His death would be entirely pure. The washing of water by the word is in view of the assembly being suitable for Himself.

AMB What you say I feel is absolutely right and it is very important. It is something in our souls when we come to it that Christ’s death and His blood-shedding has secured me for Himself for ever, because He has carried the guilt and burden of my sins; but as well as that He has taken away the kind of man, the people that we are, and God has in mind a completely different kind of man, the Man that He saw in Christ. The application of the water really means aligning ourselves with God’s view. God’s moral assessment of that, would you say?

APG So do you think this would have in view that we are subject? The setting here is regarding husbands and wives. It says, “Christ also loved the assembly”. How unselfish He was, giving Himself, unselfishly serving the saints in love; but our side would be, as the word comes to us, that we are subject to it.

JD Would the washing of water by the word include living and current ministry as it comes to us? The section further up begins with “Christ is head of the assembly”, something precious in His current service to us, do you think?

APG I think that is going on currently, especially as you say, in the current ministry that comes to us, living, spiritual ministry maintained in the power of the Spirit. The question would be as to how much we answer to it, how much we open our hearts to it and allow it to have an effect, this cleansing effect, do you think? The Lord’s supper would help us, being occupied with the Lord’s love. We are reminded of it each week, “even as the Christ also loved the assembly, and has delivered himself up for it”. As we are occupied with Christ and His love it would have a purifying effect with us.

RG There is an answer to Him, “that he might present the assembly to himself glorious, having no spot, or wrinkle, or any of such things”. It is the assembly, what is pure to His own heart, it is of Him.

APG Yes, there is no spot or wrinkle, there is no aging. Freshness is maintained, spots would be what is out of keeping with His mind, “or any of such things”. It is a glorious vessel.

JAG It says, “Husbands, love your own wives”. It has to be worked out in households.

APG It is very practical. Husbands loving their own wives, it is unselfishness, as seen in Christ. Love for Christ would be subjection.

JS “For no one has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it”. That would be the operation of His love, “even as also the Christ the assembly”. Then it comes down to the working out of this truth in our households, does it not?

APG Yes, so our households are to reflect what is said as to Christ and the assembly. It is an everyday matter, the operation of love in the household.

AdB You think of the cleansing or the sanctifying of the water, but there is the sanctifying of the blood, “Wherefore also Jesus, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood” (Hebrews 13: 12), so there is the water and the blood, both have a sanctifying effect, do you think?

APG It is in view of Him having His people for Himself; both the blood and the water come into that.

JS The blood has the effect of clearing us judicially, the water has the effect of cleansing us morally.

APG Yes, that is a helpful way to put it. Perhaps we could get some help on Revelation 19, it says, “the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready”. It is the side of our faithfulness. There is what the love of Christ is providing as we had in Ephesians, the love of Christ sanctifying and purifying the assembly, but here it is the answer to the sufferings; He is the Lamb and there is the Lamb’s wife.

JAG She is equal to this in responsibility, she has made herself ready; she has done it.

APG That is worked out at the present time, in faithfulness and loyalty to Him.

JAG Yes, exactly, she is in accord with the Spirit, so that the Spirit and the bride say “Come”.

APG Yes, very good.

GC How does that work out as to Genesis 24, or is that another application altogether? It says “she became his wife”, Genesis 24: 67. I was thinking as to the activities of the Spirit.

APG Yes, that is the wilderness journey. The Spirit, in type, had occupied Rebecca’s heart with Isaac. She sprang off the camel; she was ready for Isaac. I suppose that is the wife there, it is not the bride. It suggests faithfulness at the present time, the time of Christ being rejected here.

GC In verse 58 it is, “Wilt thou go with this man?”. These are things which we have experiences of in our histories, both individually and collectively. So that eventually there is the being brought into the tent and becoming his wife.

APG She did not allow anything natural to hinder her. She was not hindered by what was natural, which is probably the biggest hindrance to us.

AGM Is there the continuation of the sufferings of Christ now, not the atoning sufferings, but the suffering character that is seen in the wife; she has made herself ready, she is fully suitable to Christ, an answer to His sufferings?

APG Yes, that suggests that the Lamb’s wife is in a time of suffering now. Paul suffered and this is what was in his heart that there should be an answer for Christ. The Philippians suffered too. It all comes into the formation of the Lamb’s wife and that continues at the present time.

JS It comes down to the detail of what is worked out day by day in our lives, “the righteousnesses of the saints”. It is the practical working out of righteousness day by day, so we have to suffer for righteousness sake.

APG So there is a cost at the present time in being righteous, it involves suffering too at the present time. These “righteousnesses of the saints” can be quite small things. Mr. Coates said every time we pray it is an act of righteousness, also coming to the Lord’s supper and coming to the meetings (see C. A. Coates ‘Outline of Revelation’ pp199, 200). These simple things are all included in “the righteousnesses of the saints”. It has all been woven into the garment.

JAG We are to pursue righteousness.

APG Yes, “with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart”, 2 Timothy 2: 22. There are others that we can go on with that are available to us.

JAG “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land”, Proverbs 31: 23.

APG Are you speaking of the woman of worth? She is helpful to us, how faithful she was in the absence of her husband.

JS Reference has been made to 2 Timothy 2, “pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart”. It defines where we find our companionship, does it not?

APG Yes, I think it all comes into this purity, who are our companions, our friends. Any friendship with the world is bound to defile us but finding our companionship among the saints walking thus would be helpful to us on this line.

ALMcK It also says in 2 Timothy 2, “shall have purified himself from these”, that is linked with the thought of the purging out, is it not? Do you think it would also involve the difficult exercises of reduction? In Malachi it speaks of the refiner and the purifier of silver (Malachi 3: 3).

APG The Lord is doing that in what He is passing us through, what comes to us in the way of discipline and testing. It is all in view of this purifying work, refinement in the saints in view of this garment being produced; it is being produced now.

ALMcK It is with a view to something distinctive being arrived at, do you think?

APG Yes, the purifier of silver is looking for his own image, looking for what is in correspondence to himself. I think it has a special place at the present time, when things are so mixed outwardly, but God finds pleasure in going on with what is pure.

ADM One of the things that it says in Proverbs 31 is that “she laugheth at the coming day” (Proverbs 31: 25). I was thinking of the joy that there is here, “Let us rejoice and exult” (Revelation 19: 7); it is bright and pure. There is something very triumphant being worked out in the assembly at the present time, something glorious.

APG So this comes just after the judgment of what is false, Babylon. Babylon has been judged, the great victory, and now it is the marriage of the Lamb. It is helpful what you say, the joy that marked the woman of worth. She seeks the wool and the flax and works it willingly with her hands. This is being worked out now in a practical way.

AMB I was just wondering as to these acts of righteousnesses that the brethren are speaking about; it has been very helpful, what has come in in the matter of prayer for example, or coming to a meeting, all of that has been observed by heaven.

APG Yes, that has all been taken account of, all adding to this garment that will be there to adorn the Lamb’s wife.

AMB It is being woven together. We are not exactly doing that, we might be providing some threads to be woven in, but the end result is that there is a substantial and formed answer worked out experimentally and in substance to Christ Himself, to His image.

APG “It was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure”. It is very distinctive, it is the product of her own righteousnesses.

JS Have you any thought about the fact that this clothing was given to her?

APG I would be glad to hear what you have to say about it.

JS Do you think it is a great encouragement to us to know that heaven is taking account of things being worked out in relation to this great vessel that is going to be an answer to Christ?

APG Yes, I think that is an encouragement; heaven is taking account of the smallest detail. I think these righteousnesses would be mostly small things, not great exploits, just simply everyday going on in faithfulness to Christ, and doing what is pleasing to Him in affection for Him. It is really love that is behind it, love for Christ. The Lord speaks of the woman in Luke 7, one who would be like Rahab. He commends the actions that she did for Him, she washed His feet and so on. All these actions would be the “righteousnesses of the saints”.

KW You have mentioned 2 Timothy 2 several times, and it refers to what is “serviceable to the Master, prepared for every good work”. The work could be small or great but it is in view of what is for Him.

APG The good work is really for Him. He says of one, “she has wrought a good work toward me” (Matthew 26: 10); what makes much of Him.

KW Is it part of the preparation of “made herself ready”?

APG Yes, that is helpful.

AGM Is there some correspondence with what is bright and pure, and the Lord’s garments on the mount of transfiguration? I wondered if there was a link there.

APG Well, I am sure there is answer in that the Lamb’s wife is to be suitable to Himself. In Him it is particularly distinctive, it is infinite. We are creatures, but there is still what is pleasing to Him, and answers in correspondence to Himself.

AGM Yes, so that she is not in any way lesser to Him, she is equal to Him as a Man in that way. He is ever distinct, but she is not in any way in a lower standard; she is equal to Him.

APG She is suitable to be at His side at the marriage, at the marriage of the Lamb.

JAG It is in correspondence to the One who is able to open the book and break its seal.

APG You are referring to Revelation 5, the Lamb standing as slain. All through this book we read of the Lamb, the features that mark the Lamb and there are those who follow the Lamb. They are the features that are being worked out now in the saints.

JAG No one has taken her crown, that is the present day.

GBG Paul says, “will complete it unto Jesus Christ’s day”, Philippians 1: 6. There would be a link with this and Christ’s day. The features of that Man will be manifested in the wife.

APG Christ’s day is the day of display, what will be displayed in the assembly.

GBG And it is complete in regard to that day, “being complete as regards the fruit of righteousness”, Philippians 1: 11. We are tested every day and a number of times every day. Am I going to do what is right or wrong? The thought is completeness in regard to righteousness. There is glory to God out of that, if there is completeness in that line.

Reading at Aberdeen, Scotland
23 February 2008

KEY TO INITIALS

A. M. Brown

S. Duthie

A. L. McKay

J. Brown

J. A. Gardiner

A. G. Mair

Ad. Buchan

R. Gardiner

E. J. Mair

G. Coull

A. P. Grant

A. D. Munro

R. J. Cumming

G. B. Grant

J. Strachan

J. Drummond

W. Lovie Jr.

K. Walker