LIFE
[p. 176] LIFE
Romans 6: 4; Romans 8: 10, 11; 1 John 3: 14; Exodus 8:16 - 19; Exodus 8:22, 23
These scriptures speak of life — a subject that runs through Scripture. Life appears first in the scriptural order in vegetable form, a form of life that persons who reside in the country are specially conversant with. Then it appears in animal form, first in fishes and birds — certain relations exist between them — and then in cattle and then in man. That is the order in which it appears in Scripture. Each of these features in Genesis 1 may be worked out in the New Testament in a spiritual sense, because that is what is in the mind of God — what we get in Genesis is but preliminary. God had a spiritual order of things in His mind from the outset, and in all these features there is reference to corresponding features spiritually. But there was the order, and you can see how great a place life had; without it the physical creation could be of little interest, all had life in view — God is the living God.
Having said this in a preliminary sense, I wish to trace the thought in a simple way in these scriptures, so that each may test himself by them, as to how far he has progressed on the life line, for the way of it is said to be upwards — it is not on the level of man’s world — “The path of life is upwards for the wise”,
So, beginning with Romans we have the initial idea, not in the internal working out, but in the external evidence of it. We are tested by whether the evidence of it is with us or otherwise.
The Lord said that He was the light of the world: “He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” — we are to understand [p. 177] that it is the light of life. There is light in a wider sense, God is light — that is a wider thought, but the light of life is most practical and it shines on those who follow the Lord Jesus. It comes in after the woman is brought to the Lord, as guilty, by the leaders of the Jews; the Lord did not condemn her but said, “Sin no more”. There was doubt as to her. The evidence of certainty of her faith is not present. Many take the ground of faith and of having received benefit from the Lord, as the man in John 5; he was made perfectly whole, yet the Lord says, “Sin no more”. He did not say that to the woman of Sychar, or to the man in chapter 9, or to Lazarus whom He raised from the dead. So when the Lord says, “Sin no more”, there is a shade of doubt as to you or me, and so the light of life comes into evidence. Life is the telling thing. It is indisputable as a test — there it is, there is the evidence; it cannot be disputed. It belongs to the things that accompany salvation, so the apostle has this in mind in Romans. The Roman christians did not live in the country — they lived in the capital of the world in that day in which the leading ideas of the world were known, the fashions, the mannerisms, the etiquette, the formalities, all that went to make up life in this world, in the imperial seat. Now what is the test to be?
Take Rome today — the representation of Christianity is not now there — the life of the Pope, of the cardinals, is not new. Hierarchical Christianity is just the world with another name. There is nothing new in the Vatican. I mention that by way of contrast that you may see in your mind the company of people who received this letter. It was sent by a devoted woman, Phoebe; she came from a small town, from Cenchrea. She had the marks of life, she was a living sort of person. She would not carry ideas from the east to instruct the sisters of Rome in the latest fashions. She would read the letter on the way, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God”, Romans 12: 2.
So as the letter was read, they would arrive at this section, newness of life. It signifies that there is no other life like it; it is not some old thing as the wheel goes round again; there was never anything like it.
It was nourished in the presence of the glory of the Father, not the glory of the imperial court but the glory of the Father. Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father that we should walk in newness of life. Think of the lustre of christian virtues and traits as over against worldly glory centred in the imperial court! Some of the Lord’s people were in Caesar’s household, but if it was only as a slave, one could adorn the doctrine; mark the word ‘adorn’.
Caesar could not adorn the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and yet the meanest slave could adorn it.
The adornment that he could put on it would survive as the glory of this world passes away — he that does the will of God abides for ever in his lustre, so the word is “love not the world, nor the things in the world”, for all these things, “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” are of the world and not of the Father. The Father has raised Jesus and the answer to that is in a walk in newness of life. There has never been anything like it before.
The naturalist studies all kinds of life, but this is outside the range of the naturalist. It was there in the christians in Rome, however humble they may have been, however small their meeting room, this element was there, newness of life, something in which to walk; it is not yet a question of enjoyment but of walk.
This new thing was now in Rome though it had never been there before; it corresponds with the glory of the Father. When His beloved Son lay in [p. 179] death, when the Lord of glory lay in death, what was it to the Father? What those three days were to the Father! Well may Scripture speak of the earliness of the morning of the resurrection! There was no delay. There may be delay in judgment; it speaks of the harvest being fully ripe, but there is no delay in the coming of the Lord and there was none at the resurrection. Those three days involved suspense in heaven; may I say it reverently? You may say there was a blank everywhere. He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. Who can define that? The corresponding thought in us is that we also should walk in newness of life.
That is the general thought; it requires much secretly before we arrive at it that we may walk in newness of life, something that was never there before. It corresponds with Exodus chapters 16, 17 and 18, especially chapter 16, where the manna comes down — a new food. Why are these people so different? Their food is different! The word means ‘What is it?’ And who are these people? “The world knows us not”, 1 John 3: 1. Christ is unknown by the world and so are His followers — a new thing entirely. How God’s heart was interested in that period, those early days of the walk in the wilderness! Chapter 15 is typical of the resurrection of Christ; it is the celebration of it, it was delightful to God. But the bitter waters follow; they speak of baptism and the flesh does not like them. The people murmured, but the Lord showed Moses wood. The young believer has got to be prepared for things to be shown.
It was Christ in a new way. Things are shown in the presence of the glory and the waters are made sweet. Then you get the seventy palm trees and the twelve wells of water, then the manna and then the smitten rock. These are the secret of this new thing in us.
Chapter 8 speaks of the Spirit. He is introduced in Romans in a most delightful way as shedding the [p. 180] love of God abroad in our hearts. Dwell on that precious service of the Spirit. It is well to challenge our hearts as to this operation. In chapter 7 the believer finds his feet, so to speak, in his own establishment, I myself serve the law of God, that is the resolution, and the Holy Spirit comes in in all His power to support me in that.
“If Christ be in you”; it is hypothetical here, it is if that is so, “the body is dead on account of sin”. God is bringing to an end sinfulness in the believer.
Sin is there but not in its actions. The body is a corpse, so to speak. The believer is viewed as having a body and surroundings in which he is responsible to God and the Spirit is life.
I would ask you to look into this, because you will have some very dark days unless you understand this verse; what is possible to the believer, and what the Holy Spirit will do for you. He is life, a new power, a new inmate in the house, and you can rely on Him. He is infinitely powerful. The Spirit is power for life in view of righteousness. The scarcest item in the world today is practical righteousness. The Lord Jesus loved it — He has loved righteousness and hated lawlessness therefore God has anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His companions; God honoured that element. So the Holy Spirit is in us as life, superior to things here so that I can fulfil practical righteousness. One is enabled by the Spirit to discharge every obligation. The character of God is reflected in the saints. It is what Christ loved, and what God would have in us in a practical way in the power of the Spirit. It is a most important feature of life.
John’s epistle is especially intended to unfold the subject of life in christians. The gospel unfolds it more in Christ, but the epistle unfolds it in christians.
“These things have I written to you that ye may know that ye have eternal life”, 1 John 5: 13. In the gospel he says, “these things are written, that ye might believe”, but in the epistle it is “that ye may know”; it is consciousness. No one can rob you of it.
“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren”. It is the simplest, and yet the surest, test. If anyone doubts his possession of the divine nature let him consider how he regards the brethren. Is he content to dwell apart and not to have their companionship? If this is so Paul says ‘I stand in doubt of you’ and you may well stand in doubt of yourself. You want to be sure of things and so Peter says, “In your faith have also virtue” and adds a list of these things which may be abounding (2 Peter 1: 5). Things are made sure to you, but without this you are in a miserable state. Satan lashes you in that state or tempts you with the world.
So you can test yourself as to what the brethren are to you; I cannot believe you love the Lord unless you love the brethren. You cannot expect the brethren’s confidence unless you love them. How great a thing it is that there is such a company in the world as the brethren! They get together when they can, and they are not in a hurry to get away from each other. There is love. In Acts 2, at the beginning of the chapter, they were all together in one place; it was then that the Holy Spirit came upon them. At the end of the chapter they were all together although not in one place. They were together in heart; it was only circumstances that hindered them being together in one place.
We are bound up vitally, dear brethren; we know that we love the brethren and that is a wonderful testimony to God in this world. The Lord says to the leper, “go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses ordained, for a testimony to them” (Matthew 8: 4), not simply to the priest, but to [p. 182] them. God knows how to hold people responsible. “By this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine, if ye have love amongst yourselves”, John 13: 35. It is confirmatory to my heart that I love the brethren but it is a testimony outside — they cannot get away from it. Daniel said to Belshazzar, “Thou knewest all this”.
Then the lice in Exodus are a type of what I have been speaking of. They are made to live out of dust by the power of God. Moses is not directed to advertise Pharaoh as to this plague, nor is it said to be removed. We do not want it removed. It is a question of the testimony of life, all the dust of Egypt. God turns it into life, the dust of the world, that which is despicable becomes most powerful. These gnats are not destructive; they do not kill, like thunder or hail, but they are on man and beast. They deal with life and flesh and blood. All are dealt with and the plague is not removed. Let us remember this. It is not a case of endeavouring to be something in a locality in the eyes of men. Remember the dust is made to live; it is what is despised, it is all the dust, nothing else.
The magicians, the religious leaders, could not do this. They failed, they could not do it and they say so to Pharaoh. God brings in a testimony that cannot be imitated. Persons who are of no account at all are made to live. The man and beast are brought down to the same level in regard to this matter. It is a testimony to him, day and night, and it is not removed. If the world only knew, it is an advantage to have these things to make them uncomfortable that men should turn to God, and that shows the importance of christians walking in newness of life. Men do not like them. Haman would have destroyed the Jews, they were a plague in his account, and so, in the account of this world christians are a plague. God will remove us presently, though He [p. 183] will never leave Himself without a witness, the plagues go on and on.
The finger of God is the Spirit of God working in detail and in power. God makes His people a living testimony in this world. He makes a distinction in the land of Goshen. You are under the eye of God for protection there. “I will distinguish in that day the land of Goshen”. We are marked off, dear brethren, we are marked off as alive. He puts “a separation” (or ‘a redemption’) (verse 23) on His people. He has redeemed them to Himself.
We need this spiritual teaching not simply that we should meet together on the right ground but that we may have this new thing, this newness of life, which is a testimony to God in this world.