SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE (4)
[p. 257] SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE (4)
Rem You would say that in this chapter the question of spirits is very prominent, the spirits which are of God being contrasted with the spirits which are of the world.
JT Yes. And it is well that we should be especially reminded of that in this country. It is most manifest that there are many spirits active around us. Therefore it is most important, as enjoined here, to “prove the spirits, if they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world”. They had gone out into the world. They were such as had gone out from the assembly, and have given the world a peculiar character. The world as we have it today has been christianised; it has been permeated with christian truth, sayings and doctrines, so as to deceive men. They had been ever active in the world, but now they are operating in christendom. John designates the false prophets as having “gone out into the world”. They are now abroad, and particularly so in this country. It is marvellous how much evil of this character is abroad, and how much that is the sheerest folly is received and accredited. The spirit behind it all is that of the world, which loves its own, and this explains why such folly is accepted.
Many even of the Lord’s people are very poor in discerning. How easily we swallow what is not right! We are contemplated in this chapter as having the means of discerning, and are enjoined to discern. To this end we need our senses exercised, as it is said, that we may “discern both good and evil”, (Hebrews 5:14). And this does not apply merely to one sense alone, but to all of the senses — seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling and tasting. It refers, of course, to spiritual sensibilities. The natural in this respect, is an index to the spiritual. We need to be able to discern between good and evil,
[p. 258] and our ability to do this depends on the kind of food we eat. So it says, “Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good”, (Isaiah 7:15).
Ques Would you explain the force of “butter and honey”?
JT I cannot say much about that, only that they both suggest food which has been procured apart from the death of the creature. The cow does not have to be killed that the milk may be secured, neither do the bees for the procuring of the honey. The creatures which produce milk and honey are marked by discrimination.
Rem The remnant are said to eat the same food in Isaiah 7:21,22. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; and it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give, that he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land”.
JT Yes. Such foods nourish life. But as to discernment how often we find ourselves swallowing something which is not right, instead of taking pains to prove whether it is of God or not. Discerning is a most important thing, and the anointing teaches us in this respect as in others, according to chapter 2. “The spiritual discerns all things”, (1 Corinthians 2:15). By having the good in the power of the anointing we are able to discern the evil. Paul speaks of “deceiving spirits and teachings of demons speaking lies in hypocrisy”, (1 Timothy 4:1,2). It is very remarkable the gross kinds of folly that are found abroad in christendom, things which on the very surface of them are marked by the most palpable error, with much borrowed eastern nonsense. Such things are presented by false teachers, and swallowed down as novelties by the masses. But Rome and kindred systems in christendom afford the principal evidences of the effect of these spirits of error which have been active throughout the history of the church.
[p. 259] The Spirit of God foresaw this, and gave this chapter to keep us right. It presents what is of God. The title ‘God’ appears in it twenty-nine times. God is love and He dwells here in those who love Him. “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him”. But the chapter urges that vigilance should mark us, we should prove the spirits; indeed, as we are enjoined elsewhere, we must “prove all things; hold fast that which is good”, (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In Acts 16 we get the spirit of Python in a woman. She would flatter by accrediting Paul and those with him as “the servants of the most high God”. It is remarkable that the Lord in dealing with wicked spirits in the gospels did not consign them to ‘the bottomless pit’, but allowed them to go abroad. He did not come in to reform the world: He permitted the spirits to go where they wished in Matthew 8; having been cast out of the men they went into the herd of swine. He is dealing now with wicked spirits in men who would influence His people. Luke 11:14 mentions that “he was casting out a demon”. God is against demons as they affect His people. With regard to the world they are left; they will be used in the strong delusion presently (2 Thessalonians 2). We should reckon on the Lord in dealing with them now whenever they act against us. These spirits are not confined, but will be ere long, they are at present allowed to go abroad; this shews the solemn condition of the world now, as under their power and influence. That they are restrained is of course true. But they are used in the government of God as seen in 2 Chronicles 18:19,20; the Lord there says, “Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel?” “Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him”; and he was permitted to do so. God allows these things, but controls them. And He will later allow the activity of wicked spirits that the delusion may be spread abroad, that people who receive not the [p. 260] love of the truth may believe a lie. At the present time it is the principle of the strong delusion, rather than the strong delusion itself, as spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2. The apostasy is becoming very insistent. In Matthew 12:43 - 45, we have a solemn reference to unclean spirits in connection with Judaism — christendom now is analogous.
This is a most important chapter. I know of no chapter more so, in view of the condition of things around us. That we have to do with demons is a very solemn consideration, so that we must prove the spirits. Even though we may have the fullest confidence in a person we must prove what he says — it is the greatest mistake to swallow down everything a man says. The Bereans were commended for searching the Scriptures to see if the things said by Paul were so (Acts 17). By doing this you shew that you value what is of God, and He commends this. In Isaiah 8:20 we have, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”. We must test everything by the word, and discern thus whether the thing is right or wrong. Ministry which is of God should be received heartily for it is “worthy of all acceptation”, (1 Timothy 1:15). According to this chapter we have the means of knowing what is of God — “Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ come in flesh is of God; and every spirit which does not confess Jesus Christ come in flesh is not of God: and this is that power of the antichrist”.
Ques What is it to confess Jesus Christ come in flesh?
JT It involves that He is a real Man, but above all a divine Person. He was not merely a super-man, as many say today. He existed before as God, but He “became flesh”. It says that He is come — it was His own personal doing. No mere man however exalted,
[p. 261] could do that! The spirits are tested by this great fact and thus we have the means of discerning. We should examine everything that is presented, and judge whether it is in accord with “Jesus Christ come in flesh”. This coming in flesh involves the whole truth of the incarnation. It is not simply that He was born; that is Luke’s side, here it is that He came; a divine Person came into the world. Christians ought thus to be able to protect themselves by having this principle of testing. It is not necessary to go into all the detail; the whole truth is bound up in this principle. “The Spirit”, John also says, “is the truth”, and in the presence of the Spirit with them, those to whom he wrote had the truth, and thus the means of discerning. Jesus means, “Jehovah the Saviour”, a divinely given name, as was that of John the baptist; it was not a name given by the parents. It suggests Deity, and involves God manifest in the flesh.
Now the apostle dwells much on the thought of love. It is what God is here in a tangible way, so to speak; God is love. He is not found here in systems of doctrine, but in a tangible and effective way in love. Doctrines around us say that love is God. That is not true. Statements of the truth cannot be thus transposed. God is love and those who love are marked off as of God. “He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him”; so that He is here where love is active. We must have more than doctrine; what we need is to get to the kernel, the substance — divine love. Every human system holds up the man after the flesh, not Jesus Christ come in flesh. But He, having come, necessarily supersedes that order of man. Human systems all flatter the natural man; it is said that good is God, and that love is God. It is all to glorify, elevate and deify the natural man; so that what are regarded as beautiful traits in the natural man are deified. But God is not a development here; the truth is, that the Son of God has come, and [p. 262] to deify anything in man is blasphemous idolatry. Jesus Christ come in flesh sets aside man in the flesh entirely; in Him God has introduced a wholly new order of man. Confession of Jesus Christ come in flesh is the full acceptance of this. In chapter 5:6 we have His coming more fully developed; it says, “This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus the Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood”. He came by water and blood, thereby setting aside the man of flesh judicially so that we may be entirely free of him.
But in chapter 4, besides the discerning of spirits, we have the out-going of the testimony; hence the title ‘God’ is mentioned twenty-nine times as already stated. There is not only light, God is here in those who love; there is also a spiritual order of things, tangible things — not merely light, but substance. It involves that God is known here, in love. At Corinth they were enriched in all utterance, knowledge, gift, etc.; what we have here is the counterpart of that, love being active amongst the saints, but this did not mark the Corinthians. The testimony to God is thus going out, accompanied by a tangible evidence of the presence of God being here, in that we have love amongst ourselves. In the end of Ephesians 2 we have God dwelling here in the Spirit, corresponding with what we have here. It is well to see that it is not only a question of light in this chapter, but also of God being here in love. In connection with this there was the testimony “that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world”.
We also see here that it is a question of confessing, not merely of believing. Confessing Jesus Christ come in flesh involves the order of man, but then there is also the confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. That is a very grand confession. The title ‘Son of God’ involves power. In Romans 1:4 the Lord is said to be “marked out Son of God in power ... by resurrection of the dead”. Then at the cross the centurion, hearing [p. 263] Him cry with a loud voice, and seeing the things that took place, said, “Truly this man was Son of God”, (Matthew 27:54). The first man is thus in every way superseded and set aside, whatever he may be, whether Jew or Greek. Jesus Christ come in flesh, known also as Son of God, is the end of all that.
Ques What is the difference between Jesus Christ come in flesh, and the Word having become flesh?
JT The first chapter of John’s gospel shews that in the Word becoming flesh a divine Person took on a new condition in which He dwelt among men; in it He was contemplated by the disciples “as an only-begotten with a father” — His peculiar glory in this relation was seen by them. The gospel presents Him in relation to the Father. Both ‘the Word became flesh’, and ‘Jesus Christ come in flesh’ refer to His manhood — the former contemplates the Person in the new condition more; the latter the order of man. In our chapter we have the testimony of God as here in a substantial way: God having come in in His Son and now in His people, those born of Him, possessing His holy nature, in whom He thus abides. There is here the filling out of the house as seen in Paul’s ministry; God is in His people in the most practical way. No one has seen Him at any time, but as we love one another He abides in us and His love is perfected in us (verse 12).
If we could have looked inside Solomon’s temple we should have found that all was pure gold. But the two pillars standing outside were of brass; the judgment of evil is seen in them. Then the other things, the altar, the sea, and the ten lavers, were also of brass; they were the work of Huram, who was a worker in brass; they stand for the public testimony, involving the judgment of evil. That is what should mark the saints of God. Chapter 4 gives us more the internal thing, but it also has a bearing towards the world in testimony. There is the evidence of His love to us, and His [p. 264] grace toward the world. Brass represents an attribute of God, but gold speaks of what God is in His nature. What is in view here is God Himself, not merely His attributes; so it is written that in His temple every whit speaks glory. It is Paul’s house in a tangible way. We are expected, as we go out, to be very sensible of what is inside. It is said, “Ye are of God”, that is, not merely righteous, but like God, which is very important. At the Lord’s supper we have the bread, which speaks of the will of God; and then the cup, which speaks of the love of God, which expresses what God is. Love is very arbitrary as to evil, it refuses it entirely. As knowing love we can understand in some measure what feelings God had in dealing with evil, in His holy abhorrence of it; and we ought to be like that also. The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit; it does not say merely by the Spirit, but by the Holy Spirit; hence the love is a holy love. So we abhor whatever interferes with the outflow of divine love. We can understand the lake of fire as we love — it is a necessity of love. Why do we withdraw from a brother walking disorderly? On account of love. Discipline is a necessity of love. The wicked will ultimately be consigned to the lake of fire, also the devil and his angels, for whom it was prepared (Matthew 25:41).
Verse 5 says, “They are of the world; for this reason they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God; he that knows God hears us”. The ‘we’ and the ‘us’ here refer to the apostles; they were representative speakers from God, and convey the idea of representative speaking. “He who is not of God does not hear us”: the world could not hear them. It is remarkable that if we consult the great dictionaries and encyclopaedias of the world, we shall find very little reference to what God has said during the past hundred years. Men pay no attention to it, it has no interest for them. But if a man puts on a clerical dress and writes a book on ‘theology’, they will take note of that, because it is of the spirit of the world which they easily recognise. Even the best translation of the Bible with which we are familiar is taken little notice of; but then this is really an honour! The world will not take account of the work of God. So in the apostolic days current literature took practically no account of what God was doing; wonderful things were taking place at that time, but they were almost utterly ignored. The world ignores the work of God if it can; not that the leaders of the world do not know; the Lord charged them with knowing Him and what God was doing, and so did the apostles later. The same applies in our own day.
We have two things here; first, “Ye are of God”, that is, all christians, but then there are also those who specially speak on God’s behalf. “We are of God” — verse 6 refers to them — I think that everyone that ministers should have that before him. It should not be just a matter of what one thinks. We should speak as the oracles of God — our speaking should carry weight and authority. To accomplish this we must go to Galilee for our sermons! If we did our ministry would have more power. Luke does not ask you to go to Galilee, but says, “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high”, (chapter 24:49). Do not speak merely because you have read books and learned from them. Wait for the power. The Holy Spirit was coming to them where they were, and that was grace. Mark 16:17 emphasises believing. He says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe”. He would have us to be sure that we believe what we say. In John 20:22 the Lord would have us to be sure that we go out with His Spirit. But in Matthew 28:10 it is, “tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me” — you must go to Galilee. It was a long journey to Galilee, but if we are prepared for it we shall surely get [p. 266] something for the saints. It involves self-judgment, and incurs reproach, for Galilee was a place of reproach; it was not accredited in religious circles. From these references we see that the gospels are most essential; we must regard them as written directly for us. There has also been much direct speaking on behalf of God during the past hundred years. The world has no ear for it; nevertheless the speaking goes on, and the word to us is, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”, (Revelation 2:7).
In verse 9 we have another great fact: “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him”. And in verse 14 it says, “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world”. That is the witness. In saying “us”, and “our sins”, the reference is to the children of God. But then God’s grace also extends toward the whole world. There is first given the love of God to us, and then the fact that the Father sent the Son as Saviour of the whole world. It is not exclusive. The holding of all this in power would save us from being narrow and sectional. We should have a sense of the widest bearing of the love of God, so that all national feeling is shut out. The Samaritans who believed on Christ, no longer remained national in their minds; they besought the Lord that He would tarry with them, and He tarried two days. He was now to them “the Christ, the Saviour of the world”, (John 4:42).
I do not think that love was really known before Christ died. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins”. “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world”. Where family affections are truly known locally among the saints, they are evangelical. In preaching the gospel, you would speak not only of God’s righteousness, but also of His affections. This feature touches men’s hearts. You would say, in principle, that “we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world”. It is a question of presenting the outgoing of God in grace. I think God would stimulate the brethren to go out on the streets on this principle, not merely to present what is doctrinal, but as those whose hearts are filled with the love of God. These verses should greatly stimulate our preaching: first, to enjoying God’s house, breathing its atmosphere; and then going out in the warmth of all that in your heart. You go in, in order that you may go out with the love of God in your heart. It is a question of having substance, and coming out with that; love is a substance, a positive thing. What you realise inside colours you as outside, and not merely what you have acquired by reading and study, although these must not be neglected. What is evangelical will go on to the end: so in Revelation 22:17 it says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely”. That is a positive testimony, and should characterise our preaching, both inside our meeting-rooms, and outside. I never knew of a meeting making much progress without having the gospel at heart and going on with it, for however feebly the service of the gospel is carried on, God is with it.
Ques In regard to street preaching, one has heard objections raised to use of the term, ‘open air’.
JT Well, that is really where it began: Peter’s first sermon was evidently preached in the open air, where everybody could hear. “We have known and believed” — that is inside. “We have seen and do testify” — that is outside. Thus you become a witness, you speak from your own experience. You have been saved yourself out of the world — why not then seek others? We may learn from the Acts how the apostles testified, and may [p. 268] see the variety of ways and circumstances in which their testimony was rendered, but in every instance they spoke with authority. In Acts 8 we read that Philip went down to the city of Samaria; there is no word as to his having been sent there. How can we know whether one has been sent until he stands up and preaches? One’s preaching will shew whether one is sent or not; if one has been sent he will have a sense of divine support. Later there is evidence of Philip’s service having formal and definite recognition from the Lord. At first an angel is used to say to him, “Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza”, (Acts 8:26). But his directions become more dignified later, for the Spirit Himself directs him. His directions through the angel would be more on providential lines. Finally it is recorded that “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip”, (Acts 8:39) — the Spirit Himself does it. I look upon that as a mark of the absolute approval of God upon his service. Thus Philip qualified by his work — that is the idea. We too are to qualify by our work. Of course, we live in a day of small things, and must exercise much patience, for we do not see a great deal in the way of results. But we should recognise fully the importance of being inside; in the sphere of positive things, and going out thence. Throughout John’s writings we have the idea of being sent; also of having been with God, and possessing the Spirit of Christ, as sent.
Ques Did not Philip and Stephen qualify first as deacons?
JT They did; they purchased for themselves “a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus”, (1 Timothy 3:13). One should not wait for the brethren to lay their hands on him. He should go out and shew what he can do. The Lord Jesus all through the gospel of John is presented as the sent One of the Father, although in that gospel He is also seen [p. 269] pre-eminently as Son of God. The thought of being sent must underlie all true service, but one must prove by his work that he is sent by God; then the saints commit themselves to him.
As to confessing Jesus as Son of God, the blind man in John 9 did that. Christian Science does not do it. It is a flagrantly wicked system. It makes much of ‘Jesus’, in a certain way, but has no place for the deity of the Son of God. It is of the very greatest importance that we should maintain the confession of Jesus as the Son of God. This means that He is a divine Person — the true God, and that is His glory. So we have the statement that, “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God”; which involves that there is a certain fixedness in the presence of God here. He is not a God afar off, but near at hand. It is a wonderful thing to contemplate — God in us here, and we in Him. Knowing is put before believing. The dispensation is ‘in faith’, but the things believed are known. They are real to the intelligence of the believer. This chapter contemplates that the love of God is perfected in the believers. They are filled with the apprehension of what God is; His love is in their hearts and they love like Him. This is the outcome of keeping His word (chapter 2:5).
Ques Why, in verse 17, is it said, “That we may have boldness in the day of judgment”? Why not now?
JT We can have it now, but the day of judgment is anticipated, for “as he is, so are we in this world”. We are like the Judge — we shall be literally so in ‘that day’. The day of judgment has no terrors for the believer. Think of being like Christ! “As he is, so are we in this world”. When I stand before the judgment seat, it is not what I have been that is attached to me, but what He is. Indeed as He is I am.
Ques Who would be the “brother” referred to in verse [p. 270] 20?
JT Any one in the profession, but the one hated would no doubt be a true christian. All in the profession are to be regarded as our brethren in a sense; they are on that ground. Things here are presented in their abstract, and so absolute bearing, hence hating my brother would mean that I am not a christian, but a liar. John’s writings strikingly expose false things; they enable us to determine who are really the brethren.
Then in the end, the result is, “We love”. That is a notable statement. The first to say, ‘I love’ was the Hebrew servant (Exodus 21). It is said previously that Isaac loved Rebecca, and that Jacob loved Rachel, etc., but the first to say ‘I love‘ was, typically, Christ. And if He could say this, we should be able to say, ‘We love’. It is a challenge to us. We can say that God loves, and that Christ loves; but can I say that I love God, and Christ, and the brethren? Here it is, “We love him, because he first loved us”.
Rem It is not a question of how great the measure of love we have.
JT Well, the Lord said to Peter, “Lovest thou me more than these?” (John 21:15). I do not think that God objects to our estimating the measure of our love; although He alone can give the right estimate of it. It says, “if any man love God, the same is known of him”, (1 Corinthians 8:3); and the Lord says of the woman in Luke 7, “She loved much”. There is much less love amongst us than is usually assumed. It is a quality or substance that should be found in abundance amongst the saints. If we wish to test our measure we should turn to 1 Corinthians 13, which gives what love is and does, and is the “way of more surpassing excellence”. I may give all my goods to feed the poor, and yet be nothing. Love is nature and what I do towards others should be the outcome of that nature. Our chapter closes with a commandment: “That he that loves God love also his brother”.