BEGINNINGS, AND WHAT ABIDES

P. Schubert

John 1: 35–42; 21: 18–23; Acts 9: 17–20

I thought that these passages would be an encouragement to us for we see in them the beginnings of the work of God in those apostles whom we have been considering in regard to their service. It is interesting how different their beginnings were, likewise how the sovereignty of the work of God came to light so as to bring persons into the activity which He intended to reveal to them. We also see the power of the Lord in resurrection; that He is above all, and that His operations can be hindered by no one. It says in the parable of the treasure in the field that the man bought the field. The Lord sold everything so as to buy this treasure and to possess the pearl. His rights are here seen in appropriating these persons, and also many others. Everything that God unfolds according to His will and purpose is founded on righteousness. He has the right to call you and me, and any other whom soever it may be.

It is His right, and the right of the Lord Jesus, who died to bring this scene under His domination. He says at the end of Matthew, “All power has been given me in heaven and upon earth”. We see power working in this world which might seem to our minds to be invincible, but it remains under His control. Nothing can be done and nothing can proceed without its being allowed by the Lord who is above all. He does according to His will, and the fruits of His activity come to light. In what way this may happen is His own prerogative.

We see this in these persons, and especially in Saul. How gladly we think of the example of his conversion! He was met by the Lord from the glory. The Lord of glory condescended to meet a man of whom we would say, ‘This is impossible—a most unlikely person to be the subject of such divine activity’. That shows what Jesus is; He is the Lord, and He works in His power in grace so as to produce something for the praise of the glory of God’s grace in vessels which are quite unworthy—and we are all that! None of us can attribute anything to ourselves that could have brought us near to God. It is pure grace and it was that, I believe, that had a continuing action with these persons right up to the end. The earliest transaction with the Lord is something that never leaves us. We see that in Paul. He shows us that his impression of this glorious light increased until finally he speaks of “a light above the brightness of the sun”, Acts 26: 13. That is a word we should notice, beloved, so as to arrive at something in ourselves. God’s calling is something wonderful. It is beyond our thoughts, beyond the realm of every human activity. Paul says in Galatians 1: 15, “God, who set me apart even from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace”. We sang in our hymn (No. 265) that God’s choice goes far back, even before the foundation of this world. Learned people calculate the age of the earth, and how old the creation—the stars and all else—may be, but what a lack there is of any apprehension of that which was even before that! They do not reach to those things. What is basic to divine working is hidden from the wise and prudent.

Let us consider what it means to us today, that we should be persons whom God has thought of before He created the visible things. Therein lies the great secret of our calling. We are called for a glory which reaches far beyond the time when everything physical no longer exists, for this earth and this visible heaven will pass away; but His word remains to eternity, and that which it brings to light as to ourselves is eternal. We can even today get a greater conception of that which is eternal. We are, as creatures, confined by temporal limitations, but we enjoy in the circle of the saints what God’s design for us is—eternal life and the enjoyment of it in His presence.

Thus these persons are introduced in a wonderful way. Is it not remarkable how activities in the locality of Damascus unfold in Acts 9? There are persons who are on the list to be brought to Jerusalem and there judged and probably put to death. So near had suffering and death come to these persons who were the objects of a work which Satan had instigated. But the Lord was there! He is Lord of all; the whole enmity of the wicked one must retreat when He appears, and the result is blessing. This man Saul is to be set free and secured so that Ananias comes to him and says, “Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus that appeared to thee in the way in which thou camest, that thou mightest see, and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. What a wonderful word from a servant who had learned to be adjusted! He had raised objections, for he thought that things could not be so—‘We have heard what he has done in Jerusalem’. Now comes this change—it is the power of the Lord.

Now, the question for us is—Have we all had a real transaction with the Lord Jesus? Can we say anything about the One who has given Himself for us, and in His love has brought us near to Himself? And then comes the further question—To whom do I belong? There is to be the living evidence that we have heard His voice and that we are seeking the flock. Saul was brought to this flock. We cannot progress without local conditions and relationships with the brethren. Herein is seen the great thought that came into expression in the ministry of Paul—the body, and Christ as Head for ever.

When Paul at the close of his life writes to Timothy his view is directed to the appearing of the Lord and to the crown of righteousness which the Lord will render to him, then he says, “but not only to me, but also to all who love his appearing”, 2 Timothy 4: 8. Paul was not alone. He had been alone before Nero at his first defence, but he saw before God the great company with whom he was bound up and who even today are being gathered up to have part in this glory and to enter in where all is blessed and subsists before God in light and joy for eternity.

Referring briefly to the two apostles Peter and John, their beginning was likewise wonderful.

John was doubtless one of the two disciples mentioned in John 1: 35. He always kept himself in the background. That is a beautiful feature that makes room for what Christ is in His greatness. He is looking here on Jesus, and John the baptist says, “Behold the Lamb of God”. That was the basis for John’s leaving the Baptist. Was not the activity of John the baptist, and having to do with him, a blessed thing? Certainly. But there came a moment when Another put in His claim and established it, and John the evangelist yielded immediately. That word came, “Behold the Lamb of God”, and the two disciples heard him speaking and followed Jesus.

How the heart is moved when it is impressed with the greatness of Christ! Paul did not remain unmoved when he had seen the glory of the Lord—Oh, he pressed on; he did not stand still. He had an impression and because of this he moved on. Perhaps we have rather weak impressions of Christ and His greatness and therefore progress so little. But there can be increase, beloved. Let us get into His presence and the sight of His glory will bring transformation. So it is here. The Lord takes notice when someone follows Him. He turns round. Oh, He has a tender regard for the needs of a person who desires to follow Him, whose soul has been impressed with the call, “Behold the Lamb of God”. How much stands related to the Lord of glory! the “taking away of the sin of the world, in which your sins and mine are included, and the establishing of a world of blessing where sin can never again disturb. Sin is the separating element that has come in to keep us away from God’s thoughts and from His presence. But now He has come who has taken it upon Himself. Thus this movement of John’s disciples takes place, and the Lord takes notice of it. Now His question is, “What seek ye?”. It is now a question of what the soul longs for and where it desires to be. This is what we find with Paul also. What is your desire now that you are in relationship with Him? I believe we all confess the Lord Jesus as our Saviour; what is the next thing that your heart seeks and longs for?

They answer to His question by saying, “Rabbi (which being interpreted signifies Teacher), where abidest thou?”. This is a question which the Lord gladly answers—“Come and see”. Is this our desire—the presence of the Lord? Do we long to know Him in His own sphere?

We do not come to a company which has some kind of name or place on the earth; we come to Him. We may thus learn to know Him in His own sphere of activity, in His own abiding-place, which is surely the presence of the Father. We read earlier that they had seen something of His glory, “as of an only-begotten with a father”, the life that was seen here in Jesus. John even noticed the hour, it was about the tenth hour, and they remained that day with Him. There could be no going away. It says in Hebrews 10: 39, “But we are not drawers back”. God has no pleasure in such. How many have drawn back! Their impression of what they had seen and enjoyed was too weak. But in the presence of God, where Jesus appears, we think only of Him and His rights. The title Lamb of God involves His death and sufferings. The sacrificial thought goes right back to Adam’s sin when he fell. God Himself indeed took the knife in order to clothe that poor, sinful man. What is disclosed to us in the presence of the Lord is that He is supremely worthy that we should remain with Him. What instruction they must have received, for John says “and we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father, full of grace and truth”, John 1: 14. What a wonderful thing to find the Lord in His own sphere! We experience it here today. The Lord comes to those who love Him and we can learn to know Him as we go on with this company in a committed way and when we truly value Him and that which is related to Him—the true path marked out by God.

Then there was Peter, who was also found. Andrew was a helper in this. His brotherly activity showed itself in this way, and the impression that Andrew had, aroused the interest of Peter. Andrew desired to interest Peter in what he had found. “We have found the Messias (which being interpreted is Christ)”. That is the great fulfilment of the promise that God had given to His people. The gain of all that God has promised is realised in the company which is heir to the divine assurance in the Person of Christ.

Now the Lord gives Peter a name; He says, “Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas”. The name Simon, son of Jonas, was his natural name, but now he receives a different name. He is called ‘stone’, which is connected with building. We find this also in other passages as, for example, Matthew 16: 18, where the Lord brings Peter in on the basis of his confession, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”.

The transactions which these men had in their original meeting with Christ left something permanent behind, and therefore I thought of the verses at the end of John where something of great importance is said. Peter is recovered in this chapter. The Lord did not leave this scene until things were fully in order. Let us remember what had happened and how the history of the disciples developed, particularly that of Peter. It is the same as many of us have found in ourselves. But the Lord is coming quickly and He would have us in every way prepared. John says, “Every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure”, 1 John 3: 3. We must be watchful as to everything that hinders our living in the presence of the Lord, so that we may be in liberty and always in the expectation of His coming. Thus did the Lord act before He left this scene. He cared for His disciples. He set them right as to what their failure had been, and He set them on ground where they were able to labour and work for Him. A great mission was implied in the name given to Peter.

Then comes John, and Peter wishes to raise a question; but we see that the Lord regulates the whole situation—“If I will that he abide until I come, what is that to thee?” Peter’s ministry is still available to us. That which was committed to him we must recognise and bow to and it regulates our course, though the public side is no longer to be seen. But there is something which remains and the Lord connects it with John and his ministry. Beloved, I believe we appreciate something of this at the present time, and as we bow and humble ourselves because of all the breakdown and the departure, we reach that which abides. They took this literally when they said, “That disciple does not die”. That was not the thought—the character of John’s ministry is what abides. When the Lord comes He will have something here which has continued according to His will and to which He will be attracted to come—and this is connected with what the apostle John has bequeathed to us. The admonitions which he gives us in view of eternal life have experienced no weakening. This glorious enjoyment which we are able to experience, and the links that bind us in true fellowship according to God’s thoughts, remain unchanged. All that is related to these blessings which John delineates is what keeps us in the last days on sure ground. May we be exercised therefore to continue on our way in close communion with the Lord, rejecting everything that man in his activities would bring in to hinder, and constantly maintaining self-judgment so as to be sensitive to what is pleasing to the Lord, so that at the end of our time we may be linked with what He had in mind in saying, “If I will that he abide until I come …”.

Well, beloved, we are at the close of this dispensation. We do not know how long there may be yet, but how do our hearts really stand in relation to Christ? How much have we received of that which radiates His glory, and of what the saints enjoy now who subject themselves to Him who directs all? May we be amongst these and rejoice in the ministry which gives us to know all that is given to us and which will abide, for His name’s sake.

Address at Bad Endbach
7 June 1975