HIS HOME IS OUR HOME

HIS HOME IS OUR HOME

It is a time of deep blessing when you realise, though it is always true, that there is but a step between this world of sin and sorrow and the presence and home of the Lord. Instead of taking that step continually in spirit, the tendency is to seek for alleviation and relief here. Of course, if we did not receive mercy we could not exist here, but the question with me is — Do we really regard His home as our home, or are we wanting Him to make our natural home comfortable? I believe all the present contention arises from ignorance in some, and from reluctance in others, to accept that Christ, who is our life, is not here. He was here, but He will never be here again as He was here. We are here, and we, as His word works in us, find His sympathy and support here; but to find Himself, we must rise with Him, and thus leave morally all this scene to which we are naturally attached. My comfort is that Christ lives in me; hence in things down here He enables me to walk, and to behave here as He did, and as I am in communion with Him, I know — “because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14: 19). What He was comes to me from Him, and what He is is more naturally mine, because He is my life and I am united to Him there. What He was is necessary for my pilgrim journey and will terminate, the other never will.

Now study the epistles and you will find that the most part of them is taken up with telling you what Christ is to you here. In Romans you do not touch resurrection as to yourself. In 2 Corinthians you reach Christ in glory. 1 John is acquainting you with Christ who is not here. He is the eternal life.

As to new birth, as far as I understand, it is God’s sovereign act before you have believed, and that it is thus stated in John 3. Where it is said “born of God”, it is in connection with faith. I believe Mr. ———— said ‘The Son quickeneth always’; but in my judgment the point of that passage (John 5: 21) is that man is raised out of death; the Son as Man — the last Adam “quickeneth whom he will”. I quite agree with you, that the more heavenly the truth is, the more difficult it is to explain, and therefore to communicate. ‘It is an out-of-the-world condition of things.’ It is outside of the conception and the sensibility of the human mind.

I perfectly agree with the statement, ‘Christ has to be tasted and known in the soul’. I may believe that I am united to Christ, but I do not understand it nor know it until I have tasted of that great fact.

I said to ————, ‘If the Queen were to make two offers to you, one — that she would make your concerns and interests her object, and the other — that if you were really attached to her you might come and share all her concerns and interests, which would you choose?’ The answer was, ‘If we accept the second we should be diverted from or give up the first. When I am really interested in Christ’s interests my own interests are merged in His’.