THE WILL OF GOD
L. A. Barlow
Ephesians 2: 1–10; John 8: 1; 2 Timothy 4: 1–8
We are often reminded, and rightly so, that despite all the apparent obstacles and difficulties, the divine purpose will go through. It might be good, however, to pause for a moment to reflect on what it really is that is going through; it is God’s mind and God’s will. The blessings in the first chapter of this epistle are said to be
‘according to the good pleasure of His will’ and our part in them is as those who have ‘been marked out beforehand according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His own will’. It is the establishment of God’s will that ensures such immeasurable blessings for men, so we have the mystery of His will, whereby everything is to be headed up in the Christ, which means the complete setting aside of every other mind and will. How strange therefore to assume to enter into these glorious, heavenly blessings, which can only be enjoyed in communion with God, if I am seeking to assert my own mind or my own will.
I therefore read the first scripture because it shows the complete contrast between what is of man and what is of God; one of the ways God teaches us is by contrast. This epistle is addressed to “the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus”; these are features of the assembly vitally, whilst the way in which the apostle writes to the Corinthians as “the assembly of God which is in Corinth” is to the professing church. Nevertheless, in drawing attention in Ephesians 2 to what man as such is, and what marks him, the beloved apostle uses the emphatic “you” and “we” when referring to persons once walking in the lusts of their flesh, and doing what the thoughts willed to do, and reminds them that they were children, by nature, of wrath even as the rest. We also are such by nature, whether brought up in a Christian household or not, and hence our great need of mercy.
How good it is that God is rich in it, so that, in contrast, we have the wondrous nature of God and His glorious activities brought on to view. As the apostle delights to say, “his great love wherewith he loved us” and “the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness towards us”, whereby he traces even the matter of our believing to God’s goodness in giving us faith. Surely the consideration of this would help us afresh to appreciate the God who, “from the dunghill ... lifteth up the needy, to set him amongst nobles; and he maketh them inherit a throne of glory”, 1 Samuel 2: 8. Beloved, God’s operations in love set us together, both in the lifting up and the setting down, thus providing dignified and restful conditions. Any true expression of the assembly of God at the present time will be marked by such features, which will be manifested in the day to come when that glorious vessel comes down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.
This was shown to John by one of the angels which had had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues. How necessary it is therefore, whilst we are still here in flesh and blood conditions, practically to maintain a judgment of man’s mind and will, for where these are allowed we shall surely find an absence of these features of God and a scattering rather than a togetherness. The good works which we are told God has prepared that we should walk in them are works in which He Himself is expressed.
If we learn by contrast, we also learn by example, and there could be none better than the One who invites us to learn from Him, our incomparable Lord Jesus. I pass therefore to the second scripture. These terse and brief sentences of John’s gospel are profound in their import, such as “Jesus wept”, John 11: 35. Here, in contrast to every one going to his home, we have the words, “But Jesus went to the mount of Olives”. I believe the Spirit would help us in our understanding of such phrases as we are prepared to give time to ponder on them. As Mr. Raven reminded us, we only know the words by the things, and not the other way round. The mount no doubt provided a place of sweet communion for the Lord whereby He could be undistracted by any other considerations; not that the Lord in His pathway down here was ever, for one moment, out of communion, but in the day especially, and at times even after the sun was set. He was fully occupied with the activities of His grace. His moral excellency thus, although so attractive, is always a constant rebuke to the honest heart, which is made to feel how far short it comes of the glory of God which shone so brightly in Jesus whilst down here. But, beloved, if we ourselves are to be here rightly, we must of necessity know something of this place of communion because otherwise we shall come under the influence of other things, even natural relationships, which will surely affect our part in the scene of testimony.
It was from the mount of Olives that the Lord came into the temple to teach; it says “early in the morning”. What energy marked Him in service, and then He is faced with a matter of judgment. As to the matter itself, might it not be right to enquire as to why they brought to Him the woman only and not the man? Would it not raise the question of the need for impartiality in judgment, and not being governed by respect for persons?—How careful we need to be in such matters. Jehoshaphat reminded the judges, ‘ Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for Jehovah, who will be with you in the matter of judgment. And now, let the terror of Jehovah be upon you; be careful what ye do, for there is no iniquity with Jehovah, nor respect of persons, nor taking of presents’ (2 Chronicles 19: 7). What shines out here in the Lord, in contrast to the activities of the scribes and the Pharisees, is God’s attitude of no condemnation. It is the same Spirit which the Lord breathed into His own in John 20, where, as we are constantly reminded, the commission to remit comes before that of retention, for He Himself has done everything to secure it.
Next, there was for the Lord conflict for the truth. How important the truth is; how essential it is to stand for it, otherwise the saints will be brought into bondage. Some of us have had to learn from bitter experience that that is only too true. It is the truth that sets us free, and thus we are led on to the Son who sets us “really free”, bringing in the enjoyment of sonship, whereby we can rightly serve God. What therefore lies behind every attack upon the truth is the endeavour of the enemy to bring the people of God into bondage and hinder the service of God. Nevertheless, we may be encouraged to see that the truth has gone through in Him who is the truth and who came to do God’s will.
Finally, beloved, I touch on our days; it must be obvious to every exercised person that we are manifestly in the days of which the third chapter of 2 Timothy speaks. They are difficult times so far as the testimony is concerned. The outward affluence of the western world, with the breakdown in the maintenance of right government and parental control, but provides conditions in which these features of the flesh can, and do, manifest themselves—“Lovers of self, lovers of money ... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; having a form of piety but denying the power of it”. True piety would save us from all these features and it is profitable for everything, and, with contentment, is great gain. How easy it is, whether young or old, to be influenced by these general conditions, and by what others may do or allow, especially when we may outwardly be walking with them in fellowship. It is therefore noticeable that three times in these last two chapters Paul, when addressing Timothy, uses the emphatic “but thou” as though he would impress upon him, and thus upon each one of us individually, our personal responsibility, whatever others may be doing, to commit ourselves in our walk and our ways to the testimony of our Lord. He addresses him earlier as “a bondman of the Lord”, a place which each one of us is called to occupy as moving in the path of separation.
However, in this section which we have read he places upon Timothy a distinct responsibility as one who is to serve the saints, as surely we all would desire to do. Such are to be urgent in season and out of season, to convict, rebuke, encourage, with all longsuffering and doctrine.
The servant is not called upon to please man but to please God, and clearly in such days as those in which we find ourselves there will be the need to convict and rebuke, as well as always to encourage the saints. Peace is the longing desire of every true heart but there is no settled peace apart from righteousness. How serious if, as is stated here, we might be seeking to provide for what we may want to hear, when the only thing which will save and preserve us is hearing and receiving God’s word, even if it does bring the rebuke. The Lord says He rebukes and disciplines as many as He loves (Revelation 3: 19), why therefore should we not make full room for the service of His love amongst us? Paul’s final exhortation to Timothy is that he was to be sober in all things, to bear evils (true faithfulness will always bring these), to do the work of an evangelist, and to fill up the full measure of his ministry. However small our part in all this may be, let us find grace in Christ Jesus to fill it out.
How challenging this section is as Paul would remind us that there were no reserves with him. There is not only the race to be finished, but also the good combat to be fought—it is the combat for the truth. He speaks about the righteous crown to be rendered by the righteous Judge, not only to Paul himself but to all who love His appearing. That will be the day of the Lord’s vindication, but also the day when the will of God will govern this earth: those who love it will therefore surely desire that His will, in which all their blessings lie, should alone be made way for in every sphere of their responsibility at the present time. May He grant grace that in the power of the Spirit this may be so, for His name’s sake.
Substance of address at Redbridge
10 March 1984