THE POWER OF CHRIST KNOWN AND USED

^[p. 229] THE POWER OF CHRIST KNOWN AND USED

“Wisdom is better than strength” (Ecclesiastes 9: 16). In a world of trial, because of the opposition of evil, and the snares to which we are exposed, because of our weakness, there must be strength for growth and advance. I write unto you young men because ye are strong. There can be no testimony until the soul has reached this stage. The power of Christ is then not only known to be for you, but you have used it. If I were with the Lord I should be in the enjoyment of His glory, but while I am down here, where everything is against Him, and where evil is reigning, I must either yield, or by His power triumph over it; nay, the more conversant I am with Him in glory, and consequently with that which suits Him, the more shall I feel and suffer from the antagonism of Satan here, as Paul experienced when he had returned from the third heaven. Then he had no resource but the power of Christ. Everything would be right if He were ruling here, but He is not; and everything is out of course. Satan is the god of this world; hence as a Christian I do not seek to alter the course of things, but so to use the power of Christ that I may be superior to all adverse influences. The power of Christ practically sets me above Satan’s power, because in the power of Christ I am master of myself. If I follow Christ, bearing about in my body the dying of Jesus, there is no landing-place for Satan, no place of assault. I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might; hence strength is the great evidence of growth and manhood in Christ. There is a sense of what is needed, and the practical use of it. Solomon prayed for wisdom that he might be able to discern between good and evil. “Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5: 14). There is a sense of the way things should be done because of God. Hence the fear of the Lord is the beginning — the head — of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. What ^[p. 230] God requires is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of what suits Him is understanding. This is the path which the vulture’s eye hath not seen; the keenest eye in nature cannot see this path. God only understands the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof. It surpassed the gold of Ophir, and the precious onyx and the sapphire. The price of wisdom is above rubies; and surely in a world of self-will, when God says, Your ways are not my ways, etc., it is unspeakably blessed to be able to steer one’s way in wisdom, doing the thing which is suited to God — the right thing at the right time, knowing and doing what He in His nature (holiness and love) requires.

What a tree of beauty and excellence such an one would be on the earth! yielding fruit and fragrance, according to the mind of God, in a scene where He is refused and unknown! Thus the strength is not confined to what it has to overcome, but everything of the world is refused and disallowed, for it is not of the Father. One’s course and manner in everything is marked by wisdom — that peculiar line which is in accordance with the mind of God; not only strong to reach a place, a position superior to every opposition, but owning God in everything, doing and maintaining everything in happy and known reference to Him, one walks in our measure through this evil world as Christ walked.