(3) THE RACE
([p. 453] 3) THE RACE
This epistle has a peculiar interest to us, for there is a moral connection between what comes out in it and the present time. I admit that it was written at the time when Rome was in the plenitude of its power, and the church in a different condition from what it is now, but still, if we look beneath the surface, there are points which correspond to the present time. First, the world-power had asserted itself in regard of God’s apostle. Paul was not a self-constituted apostle, he was God’s messenger, God’s apostle. He had a testimony from God, and the world-power held him in bondage. So the world-power today claims authority over the church of God. The Queen is recognised as the head of the church in England.
There was no lack of preaching in the apostle’s day; many were emboldened to take part in the preaching, for it had become manifest that his bonds were in Christ. The apostle rejoices in the fact of the gospel being preached, but there was not much comfort if he looked at the motives at work in it; this, however, is regarding things as they are viewed in chapter 1, outwardly at Rome.
But in the next chapter we get another standpoint, that is, from the divine side, on the platform of resurrection. This world is the platform where man works, where forces come into collision; but resurrection is God’s platform. Sin has been removed and the old man condemned, and God is now free to act according to His will towards man; God is free to justify; and on the platform of resurrection to fulfil all the good pleasure of His will, to act according to Himself. In connection with that there are two things which are the present fruit of the death of Christ, and are what [p. 454] God has established on the ground of resurrection. One is the exaltation of Christ, and the other is the Christian company down here.
Christianity is not properly an order of things connected with this world; many regard it so, they go to church and pray for the queen and in regard to many things in the world, but they do not apprehend that the platform for God and the world to come is resurrection. A wonderful revival has come to pass on this earth where Christ was rejected, that is, Christ has been revived. He comes out now in the saints. There is thus the revival of Christ in the very scene where He died. God’s good pleasure in the Philippians was that in them there should be such a revival of Christ. The colour in which these Philippians were to come out was of Christ. They were a poor people in this world, of no account in man’s eye, but a vessel in which God by His mighty power would revive Christ.
The saints are a new generation, morally outside this world, and on the platform of resurrection; and in them there is the testimony of Christ down here. There is the testimony of Christ in resurrection glory at the right hand of God; and there are, too, the excellencies of Christ coming out in the saints down here. Christ is revived in the Christian circle; sin and the flesh have been removed, and the saints are the vessel in which Christ is displayed. It is God who worketh in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure; the good pleasure of God is Christ. On the other hand, God works with His saints on the ground of resurrection to deliver them from everything that is not of Himself; from sin, the flesh, and the world, and to bring them to the point that they are risen together with Christ. And what is the effect of that? They are here in the character of God in Christ, “blameless and harmless” — a divine generation — children of God, shining as lights in the world; the [p. 455] little circle being thus the vessel of God’s testimony down here. Christ was God’s testimony when here; now the church is the vessel of it; but all depends upon God working in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
The Christian can be set free from the bondage of sin and the flesh. So long as we are here sin and the flesh are in us, but a Christian can say, ‘I have greater pleasure in refusing the flesh than in yielding to it’. I am free by grace of its control. So too in regard of the world, God has wrought to deliver us morally from this world; and as you are delivered you find the Christian circle outside the great systems of this world. So long as Christians are connected with these they are more or less hid, but they are brought to light when they are apart from the world; they are manifest as the elect of God, holy, and beloved. One could not insist too strongly upon these two consequences of Christ’s death: His present exaltation as man, and the Christian circle here in which God works according to His pleasure, bringing the saints into deliverance.
Chapter 3 is of a different character, the apostle brings before us there the true character of what has a place religiously down here, and that the Christian course is a race. There are in the chapter two features which connect what is presented with the present time. At the beginning of the chapter apostate Judaism is seen, at the end of the chapter apostate Christianity, and between these is the race (verses 2, 3). “Beware”, is the warning in verse 2 “mark them” in verse 17. At the beginning of the chapter we get terms which describe apostate Jews, “dogs” and “concision”; dogs is a term of opprobrium, and indicates people without moral sensibility of conscience; and concision (not circumcision) that they rested in what was outward, a mere rite. The apostle’s word is to beware of such.
But at the end of the chapter we get “many walk”,
and the “many” means the mass. The apostle speaks in strong terms of those as enemies of the testimony of the cross, and that because, I suppose, they sanctioned the flesh. Anyone who gives licence to the flesh is so far an enemy of the cross; such glory in their shame. Christianity had come to this in the apostle’s day; the conduct and course of many was a practical denial of Christianity. We can readily see how these things connect themselves with the present time. The church had largely departed before the apostles went, and the “last times” set in immediately after them. If we look abroad now in Christendom it is easy to see those who live selfishly — for themselves — while professing the truth.
Now I want to present the contrast to all that. The apostle speaks of running a race; he does not speak of himself as an apostle here, but as a saint. He was a man of like passions with ourselves, but he is brought before us as an example. It has been said that he was egotistical; so in a sense he was; but God intended to set forth in him what His mighty power could effect and compass in a man like ourselves.
It is very important in the first instance that we should find the Christian circle, those who are delivered from the present course of things down here. Our obligations to the Christian circle are foremost; social obligations are secondary. There are no special obligations of the Christian in regard of his business; a Christian goes through the world to provide for his household, but there are but two spheres where Scripture recognises him, first, in the Christian circle, and secondly, in the social circle; but the Christian circle is to have the precedence and the social is secondary. The one is eternal, the other for time. God may break in upon you if you give the social the precedence. If you have found the Christian circle, you fulfil the obligation to love, to let your affections out to Christ and to the saints. If you have reached [p. 457] that, then in coming out from that circle you run a race.
The race is connected with the calling, the calling is on high in Christ; there is something to pursue, and when the calling has obtained complete possession of the soul, you have obtained the prize. I turn you now to Ephesians to show you what the calling is; Ephesians 1: 3 - 5. We have there the calling. It is very simple; the scene of it is heavenly places; the character suited to it, “holy and without blame before God in love”; then the relationship, “predestinated to sonship to God”. These are the three great thoughts: (1) heavenly places; (2) the divine nature; and (3) relationship — sonship. Now the calling never can be consummated down here, because it belongs to heaven. The calling being set before us as a prize is to take complete possession of the soul. We have to be where Christ is, to actually reach the goal; but we can be in the light and power of it now.
Now a race puts a man to the test. There are three things necessary in a race — patience, purpose, and training — this is true even in natural things. Many start well, but patience is essential; it is not enough to begin, nor to go on spasmodically. The point is to have an end in view, and not to be diverted from it. Thus purpose is very closely connected with patience. We do not get tired, and weary, and jaded, the grace of Christ sustains us. Anyone not in the light of the calling gets jaded. Justification and the grace of God in bringing a man out of Egypt may lose their freshness in our souls if we do not go on to God’s purpose. We have to keep our eye on Christ, for He is the Forerunner; He has got there, and is the pattern of those who are following. He is the leader of our salvation; the shepherd, like Joshua; and purpose means to keep your eye on Him.
Training, too, is very important; we must have the flesh in subjugation. I would ask, What do you [p. 458] feed upon? Some feed upon Christian literature; that will not train you. God’s discipline will train you. We should not deprecate God’s discipline, but rather invite it; God’s chastening is our training, that we may “be partakers of his holiness”. The flesh is thus held in subjection. If we continue in the race in power, patience and purpose show that we are in training. We are maintained in these by the power of God working in us.
The apostle puts as the first great point, “that I may know him” (verse 10). This is a crucial point; I may know about Him, but here it is to know Himself. Some Christians are more spiritual than others, and it is a real pleasure to know a spiritual Christian; still, no one can come up to Christ; He is perfect in every way, and we have the opportunity to know Him just as the disciples did who companied with Him when here upon earth, and that is more than knowing any saint.
The next thing to know is “the power of his resurrection”, that by which God will overturn the whole course of things in this world.
The calling means complete likeness to Christ, according to all Christ is; He was unique when here; but many will be like Him as He is, and God would have this thought to take possession of our souls, “that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus”.
One word more — you do not indulge in reminiscences. You forget the things behind. Some bemoan the past, the good times that have been; but we have to do with the present, and it is a great thing not to look at the things behind, but to the things which are before. There is no behind with the Spirit; the brightness of the church at the beginning will be eclipsed yet by the brightness when she comes down from God as the bride, the Lamb’s wife, out of heaven. There are thus greater and brighter things before us [p. 459] than ever were behind us. The great point is to go on with the Spirit’s present. “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded”. Perfect means those who have reached God on the resurrection platform in the power of the Holy Spirit, outside of the course of things down here; such know the love of God and are freed from the power of sin and the flesh.
No one can say that this is a chapter which is impracticable, or unavailable; it is available for us, and therefore let the truth have its place with us. Christianity is a great thing down here, but the consummation is in heaven, and therefore we look for complete conformity to Christ in glory; we look for the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour from heaven, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself. That is the end.
May we prove God’s mighty power working in the saints, producing patience, purpose, and training, God’s calling having complete possession of our souls. May the thought of it encourage us to run the race, “looking off unto Jesus”.